What is the smart salary calculator?
The smart salary calculator on this site is a straightforward tool that turns your yearly salary into weekly and hourly figures based on a 38-hour week. It then shows you how your pay compares to the national full-time average. No login, no award search, no tax return – just a quick check against the latest ABS data.
The national full-time average as your reference
The line on this site is the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for full-time adult ordinary-time employees, May 2026. That figure is $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year when multiplied by 52. This is the benchmark the smart salary calculator uses. It is an average, not a median, so it can be pulled up by high incomes. For a more typical figure, the ABS Employee Earnings survey from August 2025 gives a full-time median of about $90,532 and an all-employees median of about $74,100.
A resident take-home sketch using the average
To give you a sense of what the average means in your pocket, here is a rough take-home calculation using the 2026–27 resident tax rates and the Medicare levy. For a salary of $108,352:
- Tax: nil on the first $18,200, then 15% on the next $26,800 ($4,020), then 30% on the remaining $63,352 ($19,005.60). Total tax: $23,025.60.
- Medicare levy: 2% of $108,352 = $2,167.04.
- Total deductions: $25,192.64.
- Estimated net annual pay: $83,159.36.
- Weekly net: about $1,599.22.
This is a sketch only. Your actual take-home may differ due to tax offsets, HELP repayments, or other factors. The smart salary calculator does not calculate tax – it shows your gross weekly and hourly pay and the distance from the average.
How the minimum wage and award rates fit in
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, or about $52,255 a year on 38 hours. Award minimums rose by 4.75% at the same time. The smart salary calculator will show you how far above or below these minimums your salary sits. For example, someone on the minimum wage is well below the full-time average of $108,352.
State and territory averages
Full-time averages vary across Australia. The smart salary calculator can compare your salary to your state's average. Here are the figures from the same ABS release:
- New South Wales: about $109,658
- Victoria: about $106,137
- Queensland: about $106,064
- South Australia: about $102,450
- Western Australia: about $115,825
- Tasmania: about $96,008
- Northern Territory: about $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: about $119,090
If you live in the ACT, you are above the national average; in Tasmania, below. For more detail, see our States and territories page.
Understanding the difference between average and median
The smart salary calculator uses the average, but it is worth knowing the median too. The full-time median of $90,532 is about $17,820 less than the average. That gap tells you that higher earners push the average up. The all-employees median of $74,100 includes part-time and casual workers. If your salary is around $90,000, you are close to the full-time median but below the average. The calculator will show you exactly where you sit.
Using the calculator for job and industry comparisons
You can also explore how your salary compares by occupation or industry. The Job medians and Industry medians pages draw on the same ABS Employee Earnings data. For example, if you work in mining, the median is likely higher than the national average. The smart salary calculator is a starting point – you can then dive deeper into those pages.
How the figures are set
All the averages and medians on this site come from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The full-time average is from Average Weekly Earnings, published twice a year (May and November). The medians are from Employee Earnings, published annually. The minimum wage is set by Fair Work. For more on the methodology, see How the figures are set.
A note on tax brackets
The 2026–27 resident tax rates used in the take-home sketch above are:
- Nil on income up to $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (with possible reductions for low-income earners). The smart salary calculator does not apply these rates – it only shows gross figures. But knowing them helps you estimate your net pay.
Why use the smart salary calculator?
Whether you are negotiating a raise, checking a job offer, or just curious, the smart salary calculator gives you a quick, reliable comparison to the national full-time average. It uses the most recent ABS data and a standard 38-hour week. No guesswork, no ads, no sign-up. Place a salary on the line and see where you stand.