UNSW Professional Staff Salary: A Guide to the Pay Scales
UNSW Sydney sets salaries for its professional staff through an enterprise agreement that runs until 31 July 2026. The agreement covers administrative, technical, and support roles across the university. Salaries are organised into levels (1 to 10), each with a base rate that increases on 1 July each year. The latest published rates apply from 1 July 2026.
How the Pay Is Structured
UNSW professional staff can work either a 35-hour or a 38-hour week, depending on their contract. The enterprise agreement lists both annual salaries and hourly rates for each level. For example, a Level 5 employee on a 35-hour week earns an annual base salary of $92,265 from July 2026. The same level on a 38-hour week earns $100,174 a year. The hourly rate is the same regardless of the weekly hours: $50.70 for Level 5.
The site's salary tool assumes a 38-hour week when converting your annual salary to weekly and hourly figures. So if you enter a UNSW salary based on a 35-hour week, the tool will show a slightly lower weekly amount than your actual pay, because it spreads the same annual total over more hours. Keep that in mind when comparing.
How UNSW Salaries Compare to the National Average
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). This is the line the site uses. Most UNSW professional staff levels fall below this average. Here's a quick look at where some levels sit (35-hour week, July 2026 rates):
- Level 1: $61,213 a year – well below the average
- Level 4: $86,906 a year – still below
- Level 5: $92,265 a year – below
- Level 6: $108,021 a year – just under the average
- Level 7: $118,483 a year – above the average
- Level 10: $167,885 a year – well above
Only from Level 6 upwards do UNSW salaries approach or exceed the national average. For context, the full-time median salary in Australia is about $90,532 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). That means a Level 5 salary is slightly above the median, while Level 4 is below it.
State Comparison: New South Wales
UNSW is based in New South Wales, where the state full-time average is about $109,658 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That's slightly higher than the national average. UNSW salaries at Level 6 ($108,021) are just below the NSW average, while Level 7 ($118,483) is above it. If you work in Sydney, your UNSW salary may go further or less far depending on your level and living costs.
Minimum Wage and Award Comparisons
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week (38 hours), about $52,255 a year. All UNSW professional staff levels are well above this. Even the lowest level (Level 1) pays $33.63 an hour, which is 27% more than the minimum. Award minimums for professional employees in higher education also rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026, but UNSW's enterprise agreement rates are generally higher than the award.
Reading Your Salary as a Year, Week, and Hour
The site's tool lets you see your salary in three ways: as an annual figure, a weekly amount (based on a 38-hour week), and an hourly rate. For UNSW professional staff, the annual salary is straightforward from the enterprise agreement. But remember: if you work 35 hours a week, your actual weekly pay is higher than the tool's weekly figure, because the tool divides your annual salary by 52 weeks and then by 38 hours to get an hourly rate. To get a true weekly figure for a 35-hour week, divide your annual salary by 52.
For example, a Level 5 employee on a 35-hour week earns $92,265 a year. That's $1,774.33 a week (92,265 ÷ 52). The tool would show $1,774.33 a week as well, but then calculate an hourly rate of $46.69 (1,774.33 ÷ 38). In reality, your hourly rate is $50.70 (from the agreement), and your weekly pay for 35 hours is $1,774.33. The discrepancy comes from the tool's assumption of a 38-hour week. The site explains this in its guides.
Where to Find More
If you want to see how your UNSW salary compares to other roles or locations, you can place a salary on the line and see the distance from the national average. You can also explore states and territories to compare with other parts of Australia. For a deeper look at how the figures are set, see how the figures are set.
Summary
UNSW professional staff salaries are competitive within the higher education sector but generally sit below the national full-time average for most levels. Only senior roles (Level 7 and above) exceed the average. The enterprise agreement provides clear annual and hourly rates, and the site's tool helps you see where your pay stands against national benchmarks. Remember to account for the difference between a 35-hour and 38-hour week when interpreting the figures.