How the national average works
The Australian Bureau of Statistics publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, for May and November. The May 2026 release shows full-time adult ordinary time earnings of $2,083.70 per week – the figure we call the national line. That works out to about $108,352 a year (multiply by 52) and $54.83 an hour on a 38-hour week.
This average is a broad measure across all industries and occupations. It is not the same as the median. 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 average is pulled higher by very high earners; the median tells you what a typical full-time worker actually takes home.
Men’s full-time average is about $113,412 a year; women’s is about $100,594. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, or $52,255 a year on 38 hours. Award minimums rose by 4.75% in that same adjustment.
Place a salary on the line to see how any figure compares to these benchmarks.
Speech pathologist pay: what the data shows
The ABS does not publish a specific average weekly earnings figure for speech pathologists (ANZSCO 252712). The Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile lists median weekly earnings as N/A – the data is not available because the sample size is too small for a reliable estimate.
What we do know from the profile:
- Employment: about 11,000 speech pathologists in Australia.
- Female share: 97%.
- Median age: 33 years.
- Full-time share: 56% (average full-time hours 40 per week, compared to 44 for all occupations).
Because the workforce is young and predominantly female, and many work part-time, the overall earnings picture is complex. The national full-time average is based on full-time adult workers; part-time earnings are lower on a weekly basis, though hourly rates may be similar.
Award minimums vs market rates
Speech pathologists are typically covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award [MA000027]. The Fair Work Ombudsman published updated rates from 1 October 2026. For support services employees (which includes speech pathologists in many settings), the weekly minimum rates are:
- Level 1: $1,024.70 ($26.97/hr)
- Level 2: $1,065.20 ($28.03/hr)
- Level 3: $1,106.20 ($29.11/hr)
- Level 4: $1,119.10 ($29.45/hr)
- Level 5: $1,157.20 ($30.45/hr)
- Level 6: $1,219.50 ($32.09/hr)
- Level 7: $1,241.40 ($32.67/hr)
- Level 8, pay point 1: $1,283.50 ($33.78/hr)
- Level 8, pay point 2: $1,317.20 ($34.66/hr)
- Level 8, pay point 3: $1,409.70 ($37.10/hr)
- Level 9, pay point 1: $1,435.00 ($37.76/hr)
- Level 9, pay point 2: $1,485.90 ($39.10/hr)
These are minimums. Many speech pathologists in public hospitals, schools, or community health centres are paid above these rates through enterprise agreements or higher classification levels. Private practitioners may earn significantly more, especially if they run their own practice.
Even the highest award rate (Level 9, pay point 2 at $1,485.90/week) is $597.80 below the national full-time average of $2,083.70. That gap is not unusual for professions where award rates are the floor, not the ceiling.
Where speech pathologists sit on the line
If you are a speech pathologist earning at the top of the award, your weekly pay is about 71% of the national average. If you earn the median for all full-time workers ($90,532/year), that is about 83% of the average. The national line is a high bar – it includes many senior professionals, managers, and workers in high-paying industries like mining and finance.
For context, the average weekly earnings in Financial & insurance services is $2,341.30, and in Rental, hiring & real estate services it is $1,979.60. Speech pathologists fall somewhere in between, depending on their role and setting.
State-by-state, the full-time averages vary:
- New South Wales: $109,658/year
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
A speech pathologist in the ACT or WA may earn closer to the national average than one in Tasmania, reflecting broader labour market differences.
Job medians lets you compare speech pathology to other occupations, though the ABS does not publish a median for this specific role.
Reading pay as a year, a week, and an hour
The national line is $2,083.70 a week, $108,352 a year, and $54.83 an hour (38-hour week). For speech pathologists, the award minimums translate to:
- Level 1: $26.97/hr, $1,024.70/wk, $53,284/yr
- Level 9, pay point 2: $39.10/hr, $1,485.90/wk, $77,267/yr
Actual earnings are likely somewhere between the award floor and the national average, especially for experienced clinicians. The key takeaway: speech pathologist pay is below the national full-time average for most award-covered roles, but market rates can be higher, particularly in private practice or senior public positions.
For more on how these figures are set, see How the figures are set.