Victoria Minimum Wage and How It Sits Against the National Average
If you are looking for the minimum wage in Victoria, the answer is straightforward: the national minimum wage applies to most employees in the state. Victoria does not have its own state-based minimum wage for workers covered by the Fair Work system, which includes the vast majority of private sector employees. The current rate, effective from 1 July 2026, is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week (based on a 38-hour week), and about $52,255 per year.
Reading the Same Pay as a Year, a Week, and an Hour
It is useful to see the minimum wage in different timeframes. The yearly figure of $52,255 is what a full-time worker earning the minimum wage would receive before tax. The weekly amount of $1,004.90 is the standard for a 38-hour week. The hourly rate of $26.44 is the base floor – many awards and agreements pay more.
How It Compares to the National Full-Time Average
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026, is $2,083.70 per week or about $108,352 per year. That is the figure this site uses as the line. The minimum wage is less than half that average. For context, the full-time median salary (from ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100. So even the median full-time worker earns well above the minimum.
Victoria’s Own Average and the Minimum
Victoria’s full-time average salary is about $106,137 per year, slightly below the national average. That means the gap between the minimum wage and the typical Victorian full-time salary is similar to the national gap. The minimum wage in Victoria is about 49% of the state’s full-time average.
Who Sets the Minimum Wage?
The national minimum wage is set by Fair Work each financial year. The 2026–27 rate rose by 4.75% for award minimums, with the national minimum wage increasing to the figures above. Fair Work considers the cost of living, productivity, and the needs of the low-paid when making its decision. You can read more about how the figures are set on this site.
What About Award Rates?
Many workers in Victoria are covered by an award that sets a minimum wage higher than the national minimum. For example, hospitality, retail, and healthcare awards all have specific rates. These award rates also increased by 4.75% from 1 July 2026. If you are on an award, your minimum pay will be above the national minimum. To see typical pay for your occupation, visit the Job medians page.
Tax and Take-Home Pay
For the 2026–27 financial year, resident tax rates start at nil up to $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, and 45% above that. The Medicare levy of 2% applies before any reductions. A full-time minimum wage earner on $52,255 would pay about $7,267 in tax plus the Medicare levy, leaving around $44,988 after tax. That is a rough estimate – individual circumstances vary.
Using the Site to Place Your Salary
If you want to see where your own pay sits relative to the national average, you can place a salary on the line. The tool accepts a yearly salary before tax and shows the weekly and hourly equivalents on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the full-time average. It is a quick way to understand your position in the broader pay landscape.
Summary
The minimum wage in Victoria is the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year. It is well below the national full-time average of $108,352 and the Victorian full-time average of $106,137. Most workers in Victoria earn more than the minimum, either through awards, enterprise agreements, or individual contracts. For a detailed look at pay in your state, see the Victoria page.