Understanding your salary sacrifice against the national average
When you enter a salary sacrifice arrangement, your employer deducts pre-tax amounts for benefits such as a car, superannuation above the guarantee, or electronic devices. This reduces your taxable income but your total remuneration package remains higher. To see where you sit against the national full-time average, you need to know which measure to use.
The national full-time average
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publishes the Average Weekly Earnings survey twice a year, for May and November. The key figure used on this site is full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings, which was $2,083.70 per week in May 2026. That works out to about $108,352 a year before tax. This measure excludes salary sacrifice – it reflects the gross pay you receive before any pre-tax deductions.
For comparison, the full-time median (from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, August 2025) is about $90,532 a year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week.
Cash earnings including salary sacrifice
The ABS also publishes a separate series: cash earnings (includes salary sacrifice). For May 2026, the average weekly ordinary time cash earnings for full-time adults was $2,137.00 per week – about $111,124 a year. This is higher than the ordinary time figure because it counts the value of salary-sacrificed benefits as part of earnings.
If you salary sacrifice, your total remuneration (salary plus benefits) is likely closer to this cash earnings average. Your taxable income, however, will be lower and should be compared to the ordinary time average.
How salary sacrifice changes the picture
Let’s say your gross salary is $120,000 but you salary sacrifice $15,000 into super and a car. Your taxable income becomes $105,000, which is below the national ordinary time average of $108,352. But your total remuneration of $120,000 is above the cash earnings average of $111,124. Which figure matters depends on what you’re comparing.
This site lets you place a salary on the line and see it as a year, a week, and an hour on a 38-hour week. You can enter either your taxable income or your total remuneration – just be consistent when comparing to the averages shown.
State comparisons
Full-time average ordinary time earnings vary by state and territory. The highest is the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090 a year, followed by Western Australia at $115,825. The lowest is Tasmania at $96,008. If you salary sacrifice, your total remuneration may push you above your state’s average even if your taxable income is below it. See the states and territories page for detailed breakdowns.
Minimum wage context
No salary sacrifice arrangement can reduce your pay below the minimum wage or applicable award rate. Fair Work sets minimum pay rates in awards and the national minimum wage. From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour. Award minimums rose by 4.75% at the same time. If you are covered by an award, your base rate plus any sacrificed amount must still meet the award classification rate.
For more on how the figures are set, visit how the figures are set.
Tax considerations
Salary sacrifice reduces your taxable income, which can lower the amount of tax you pay. For 2026–27, resident tax rates are: 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. A lower taxable income might keep you in a lower bracket, but your total remuneration still counts for super guarantee and other entitlements.
Using this site
Enter your yearly salary before tax into the tool on this page. It will show you your weekly and hourly pay based on a 38-hour week, and how far you are from the national full-time average. If you salary sacrifice, consider entering your total remuneration package to see the full picture. The line on the chart is the ABS ordinary time average of $2,083.70 per week. You can also explore job medians and industry medians to see how your field compares.
Remember: the ABS average is for full-time adult employees only. Part-time and casual workers have different averages. The all-employees average weekly total earnings (including part-time) was $1,579.20 in May 2026. Salary sacrifice arrangements are less common for part-time workers but still possible.
If you have a specific salary sacrifice arrangement, check with your employer or a tax professional to understand how it affects your reported earnings. The figures on this site are a guide based on published ABS and Fair Work data.