How your salary compares to the national line
When you use the salary estimator on this site, the first thing it does is place your yearly pay against the national full-time ordinary-time average. That line is drawn from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026: $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year. But your own salary may sit well above or below that line, and two of the biggest reasons are the state you work in and the way your pay is set.
State averages can pull you off the line
The national figure is a blended average of all states and territories. If you work in the Australian Capital Territory, where the full-time average is about $119,090 a year, you are likely to be above the national line. In Tasmania, at about $96,008, you are likely below. The salary estimator adjusts for your state using the same state-level averages from the ABS. Here is how each state sits relative to the national line:
- New South Wales: about $109,658 a year
- Victoria: about $106,137 a year
- Queensland: about $106,064 a year
- South Australia: about $102,450 a year
- Western Australia: about $115,825 a year
- Northern Territory: about $103,173 a year
The differences reflect the mix of industries, occupation mix, and sector mix in each state. For example, the public sector pays higher on average than the private sector. The public sector full-time ordinary-time earnings were $2,263.10 a week, while the private sector was $2,034.10. States with a larger public sector, like the ACT, push the state average up.
How pay-setting method matters
The second big factor is whether you are paid under an award, a collective agreement, or an individual arrangement. The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey for May 2025 shows that award-only employees earn much less on average than those on other methods. For all employees (full-time and part-time), the average weekly total cash earnings were:
- Award only: $922.20
- Collective agreement: $1,746.10
- Individual arrangement: $1,876.50
- Owner manager of incorporated enterprise: $1,800.90
Award-only employees are more common in industries like retail, hospitality, and healthcare, where pay rates are set by the Fair Work Commission. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or about $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week, but many awards set higher minimums after the 4.75% increase. If you are on an award, your salary is likely to be below the national full-time average, especially if you work part-time or in a lower classification.
What the salary estimator shows
The tool on this site takes your yearly salary before tax and converts it to a weekly figure (based on a 38-hour week) and an hourly rate. It then shows how far your salary is from the national full-time average line. If you are above the line, you are earning more than the typical full-time worker. If below, you are earning less. The line is the average, not the median. The full-time median from the ABS is about $90,532 a year, so many full-time workers earn less than the average because the average is pulled up by high earners.
Why this matters for your estimate
If you are estimating your salary, you need to consider your state and your pay-setting method. A salary estimator that only uses the national average may mislead you. For example, an award-covered retail worker in Tasmania may earn well below the national line, while a manager on an individual arrangement in the ACT may earn well above. The site's [Place a salary on the line tool How the figures are set explains how the averages are compiled and why they change between releases.
Using the salary estimator with care
Remember that the national full-time average is published twice a year, for May and November. The next release is November 2026. The median and all-employee medians are from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, which is published less frequently. The minimum wage is from Fair Work, updated each July. Keep these distinct: the line is the average, not the minimum or median.
If you are on an award, your pay is set by a legal instrument, not by market rates. The award minimums rose 4.75% from 1 July 2026, but many awards have higher rates for experienced workers. The salary estimator cannot know your exact award classification, but it can show you where you stand against the national line.
Final thoughts
The salary estimator is a starting point. It uses the best available public data from the ABS and Fair Work. But your actual pay depends on your state, your industry, your occupation, your experience, and your employer. Use the tool to see where you sit, then explore the States and territories page to see how your state compares, or Job medians to see how your occupation stacks up.