Victoria minimum wage 2026
When readers ask about the "vic minimum wage", they are usually referring to the minimum hourly or yearly pay that applies to workers in Victoria. In Australia, the minimum wage is set nationally by Fair Work, not by individual states. So the minimum wage in Victoria is the same as the national minimum wage. From 1 July 2026, that rate is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year on a standard 38-hour week. This figure comes from Fair Work’s annual wage review and applies to all employees not covered by an award or registered agreement.
How the minimum wage sits against the national full-time average
The site’s reference line is the national full-time adult ordinary-time average, published by the ABS in its Average Weekly Earnings series for May 2026. That average is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (multiplied by 52). The minimum wage of $52,255 is roughly 48% of that average. In other words, someone working full-time on the minimum wage earns less than half of what the typical full-time worker earns.
Comparing the minimum wage to Victoria’s full-time average
Victoria’s own full-time average, from the same ABS release, is $106,137 per year. That is slightly below the national average. The minimum wage is about 49% of Victoria’s average. While the gap is similar to the national picture, it is worth noting that Victoria’s average is a little lower than the national figure, so the minimum wage as a share of the state average is marginally higher.
A take-home pay sketch for a minimum-wage earner in Victoria
To give a sense of what a minimum-wage worker might actually receive after tax, we can apply the 2026–27 resident tax rates and the Medicare levy. For a single person earning $52,255:
- Tax-free threshold: first $18,200 taxed at 0%
- Next bracket ($18,201 to $45,000): taxed at 15% — that’s $4,020 on $26,800
- Next bracket ($45,001 to $135,000): taxed at 30% — that’s $2,176.50 on $7,255
- Total tax: about $6,196.50 before offsets (assuming no tax offsets)
- Medicare levy: 2% of taxable income = $1,045.10
- Net income: roughly $45,013.40 per year, or about $866 per week
This is a rough sketch. Actual take-home pay can vary with tax offsets, family circumstances, or deductions. The point is that the minimum wage leaves a worker with about $866 a week after tax, compared to the national full-time average pre-tax of $2,083.70.
Where the medians fit in
The ABS Employee Earnings publication (August 2025) gives two useful medians. The full-time median is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is about $74,100 per year. The minimum wage of $52,255 is well below both medians. It is about 58% of the full-time median and 71% of the all-employees median. This shows that most workers earn significantly more than the minimum.
Why the minimum wage matters for Victorians
Victoria has a large workforce in retail, hospitality, and healthcare, sectors where award rates often sit above the minimum but where the minimum still acts as a floor. For workers on the minimum wage, the gap to the average can feel wide. The Victoria page on this site shows how the state’s average compares to other states and territories. You can also place a salary on the line to see how any wage compares to the national full-time average.
Important distinctions
It is essential to keep the minimum wage, the average, and the median separate. The average is pulled up by high earners; the median is the middle point. The minimum wage is the legal floor. None of these figures are interchangeable. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings is published twice a year (May and November), not every quarter. The Employee Earnings medians are from August 2025. The minimum wage is from Fair Work, effective 1 July 2026.
Final thoughts
If you are earning the minimum wage in Victoria, you are earning exactly what the national minimum provides. Compared to the full-time average of $108,352 nationally or $106,137 in Victoria, the minimum wage is about half. That gap is a key reason why many workers rely on award rates or enterprise agreements that pay above the minimum. For a detailed look at how different occupations and industries pay, see the job medians and industry medians pages. And for more on how these figures are calculated, visit How the figures are set.