Understanding Salary Packaging Solutions
Salary packaging solutions allow employees to structure their remuneration by sacrificing part of their pre-tax salary for benefits such as novated leases, additional superannuation, or work-related items. This arrangement is common in the not-for-profit, healthcare, and government sectors. While salary packaging can improve take-home pay, the base salary before any sacrifice is the figure used when comparing your earnings to the national full-time average.
Where Your Pay Sits Against the National Average
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, multiplied by 52). This is the line on this site. The full-time median is about $90,532, and the all-employees median is about $74,100 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week.
For roles that offer salary packaging, the base salary often falls around or above the national average, especially in senior or specialised positions. However, the ABS does not publish a specific figure for "salary packaging solutions" as a category. Instead, you can compare your base salary to the state averages: New South Wales $109,658, Victoria $106,137, Queensland $106,064, South Australia $102,450, Western Australia $115,825, Tasmania $96,008, Northern Territory $103,173, and the Australian Capital Territory $119,090. These are full-time ordinary-time averages from the same ABS release.
Using the Salary Line Tool
To see where your pay sits against the national full-time average, Place a salary on the line using the on-site tool. Enter your yearly base salary before tax, and the tool will show the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the $108,352 average. This works for any salary, including those that are part of a salary packaging arrangement.
Industry and Occupation Comparisons
Salary packaging is prevalent in industries such as health care and social assistance, education, and public administration. For a detailed breakdown of earnings by sector, see the Industry medians page. For specific roles, the Job medians page provides median full-time and all-employees figures from the ABS Employee Earnings survey. These can help you benchmark your base salary against others in similar fields.
Tax Implications of Salary Packaging
Under the 2026–27 resident tax rates, income is taxed progressively: nil up to $18,200, 15% from $18,201 to $45,000, 30% from $45,001 to $135,000, 37% from $135,001 to $190,000, and 45% above $190,000. The Medicare levy of 2% applies before any reductions. Salary packaging reduces your taxable income, potentially lowering your marginal rate. However, the base salary before sacrifice remains the figure used for comparison to the national average. The ATO provides guidance on allowable benefits and caps.
Conclusion
While salary packaging solutions can enhance your net income, the base salary is the key metric when comparing to the national full-time average of $108,352. Use the on-site tools and the ABS data to see where your pay stands. For more on how the figures are set, visit How the figures are set and About this site.