What does it take to be rich in Australia?
There is no single salary that officially makes you 'rich' in Australia. Unlike the national minimum wage or the full-time average, no government body sets a wealth threshold. Instead, Australians tend to use benchmarks like the top tax bracket, the average wage, or what feels comfortable in their city. This guide uses the latest ABS and ATO figures to sketch what a high income looks like, with the full-time average as your reference point.
The full-time average: your starting line
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings (AWOTE) were $2,083.70 in May 2026. That works out to about $108,352 a year before tax. This is the line on our site. If you earn this amount, you are exactly at the national full-time average. But is that 'rich'? Not really. After tax, a single person takes home roughly $83,000, or about $1,600 a week. That covers a comfortable lifestyle in most areas but leaves little for luxury.
Where 'rich' might begin
A common marker is the top marginal tax rate. For 2026–27, the ATO applies a 45% rate on income above $190,000 (plus the 2% Medicare levy). Many people consider that threshold the start of 'high income'. Earning $190,000 puts you at about 1.75 times the full-time average. Your weekly pay before tax would be around $3,654, and after tax about $2,500. That is a significant step up.
Another benchmark is the top 10% of earners. The ABS does not publish a precise figure for the 90th percentile in its regular releases, but the Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025) shows the third quartile for full-time workers is $2,560 per week, or about $133,120 a year. The top 10% would be higher still. Some financial commentators suggest $250,000 or more as a modern 'rich' threshold, but that is not an official number.
Take-home pay sketch for high incomes
Using the 2026–27 tax scales, here is a rough after-tax picture for a single resident with no deductions or offsets:
- $108,352 (average): tax about $25,300, take-home about $83,052 ($1,597/week)
- $150,000: tax about $39,600, take-home about $110,400 ($2,123/week)
- $190,000 (top bracket starts): tax about $55,000, take-home about $135,000 ($2,596/week)
- $250,000: tax about $79,000, take-home about $171,000 ($3,288/week)
These are before the Medicare levy (2%) which adds a small amount. The gap between the average and $190,000 is about $81,648 before tax, but only about $52,000 after tax – the progressive system narrows the difference.
State differences
Where you live also affects how far your salary goes. The full-time average varies by state, according to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026:
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090 (highest)
- Western Australia: $115,825
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- South Australia: $102,450
- Tasmania: $96,008 (lowest)
A salary of $190,000 in Tasmania goes much further than in Sydney or Canberra. The cost of housing is the biggest factor. Place a salary on the line to see how your income compares to the national average and your state.
The minimum wage as a floor
Fair Work set the national minimum wage at $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026, or $1,004.90 for a 38-hour week ($52,255 a year). That is less than half the full-time average. Award minimums rose 4.75%. Someone on the minimum wage is far from 'rich' – their after-tax income is about $45,230, or $870 a week. The gap to the top tax bracket is over $137,000.
What about medians?
The median gives a better sense of the typical worker. The ABS Employee Earnings survey (August 2025) shows:
- Median earnings for all employees (including part-time): $1,436 per week ($74,100 a year)
- Median for full-time employees: $1,741 per week ($90,532 a year)
The full-time median is about 16% below the average, because high earners pull the average up. To be in the top half of full-time workers, you need to earn more than $90,532. To be 'rich', you likely need to be well above that.
No official figure, but a reasonable range
Because 'rich' is subjective, we cannot give a single number. However, based on tax brackets and the distribution of earnings, a salary of $190,000 to $250,000 is often cited in media and public discussion as a high income. The top 1% of earners probably exceeds $300,000, but the ABS does not release that figure in its standard publications.
If you want to see where your salary sits, use our line tool to compare with the national full-time average. You can also explore state and territory averages to see how location changes the picture.
Summary
- The full-time average is $108,352.
- The top tax bracket starts at $190,000.
- Many consider $190,000+ as 'rich', but there is no official threshold.
- Take-home pay for $190,000 is about $135,000.
- State averages vary from $96,008 (Tasmania) to $119,090 (ACT).
For more detail on how these figures are set, see our data page.