Salary sacrificing into super and the national average
When you salary sacrifice into super, you agree to forgo part of your pre-tax salary in return for contributions to your super fund. This is a common way to save for retirement while reducing your taxable income. The key point for the Average line is that the national full-time average is based on gross ordinary-time earnings before any salary sacrifice. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings (May 2026) shows full-time adults earn $2,083.70 per week on average, or about $108,352 per year. This figure excludes salary sacrifice, so your gross salary is compared directly to that line.
Reading your pay as a year, a week, and an hour
The site accepts your yearly salary before tax. It then shows:
- Weekly equivalent: your annual salary divided by 52.
- Hourly equivalent: your weekly pay divided by 38 (the standard full-time week).
- Distance from the full-time average: how much above or below $108,352 per year.
If you salary sacrifice into super, your gross salary is still the number you enter. The sacrifice reduces your taxable income, but the comparison to the average uses the gross figure. For example, if you earn $120,000 gross and salary sacrifice $10,000 into super, your taxable income is $110,000, but the site compares $120,000 to the average.
How salary sacrifice affects tax
The 2026–27 tax rates apply to your taxable income after salary sacrifice. The first $18,200 is tax-free, then 15% up to $45,000, 30% up to $135,000, 37% up to $190,000, and 45% above that. The Medicare levy adds 2% before any reductions. Salary sacrifice into super is taxed at 15% within the fund (up to concessional caps), which can be lower than your marginal rate. The site does not calculate super tax, only income tax and Medicare.
State and territory averages
Full-time averages vary across Australia. For instance, the Australian Capital Territory has the highest at about $119,090 per year, while Tasmania is lowest at about $96,008. If you salary sacrifice, your gross salary is still compared to these state averages. See States and territories for details.
Medians and the minimum wage
The full-time median ($90,552) and all-employees median ($74,100) are based on gross earnings from the ABS Employee Earnings survey (August 2025). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year on 38 hours. These are all gross figures before salary sacrifice. Your salary sacrifice does not change these benchmarks.
Using the tool
Place a salary on the line to see where your gross pay sits. The chart will show your position relative to the full-time average, medians, and minimum wage. Remember that salary sacrifice into super is a pre-tax arrangement, so your take-home pay will be lower than the gross figure shown, but your super balance grows.
For more on how the figures are set, see How the figures are set.
Summary
Salary sacrificing into super is a tax-effective way to save, but it does not change the gross salary used for comparison to the national average. The Average line uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings (May 2026) of $2,083.70 per week for full-time adults, which excludes salary sacrifice. Enter your gross annual salary to see your weekly and hourly equivalents and how you compare.