What does OTE mean in salary?
OTE stands for ordinary time earnings. In the context of your salary, it is the gross amount you earn for your ordinary hours of work – the hours you are regularly rostered or contracted to work. The ATO explains that OTE includes award, workplace and enterprise bargaining payments, base rates, over-award payments, shift allowances, commissions, retainers, bonuses paid each pay period, and incentive payments. It does not include overtime, reimbursements, employer super contributions, or salary-sacrificed amounts.
Understanding OTE is important because the ATO uses it to calculate the super guarantee (SG) your employer must pay. From 1 July 2026, Payday Super will introduce a new concept of qualifying earnings, but OTE remains the core. The ATO has updated its guidance to help employers identify what counts as OTE.
How OTE relates to the national average
The Australian Bureau of Statistics publishes Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) for full-time adult employees. In May 2026, the seasonally adjusted figure was $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 a year (multiplied by 52). This is the benchmark used on this site to show where your salary sits against the national full-time average.
If your ordinary time earnings are lower than $2,083.70 per week, you are below the national full-time average. If higher, you are above. Keep in mind that this average includes both men and women; men’s average ordinary time earnings were $2,181.50 per week and women’s $1,934.50 (ABS May 2026).
OTE vs total earnings vs minimum wage
Your total earnings include OTE plus overtime and irregular bonuses. The ABS also publishes **average weekly total earnings for full-time adults: $2,160.10 per week (May 2026). The minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week on 38 hours, about $52,255 a year. Award minimums rose 4.75%.
OTE is narrower than total earnings. For super, only OTE counts. The difference matters if you rely on overtime to boost your income.
Why OTE matters for your salary check
When you place a salary on the line, the tool shows your weekly and hourly pay on a 38-hour week, plus distance from the full-time average. The average is based on OTE concept. If your salary includes overtime, the tool uses your ordinary time earnings to compare.
For a deeper look at how these figures are set, see [How the figures are set](/data].
State averages
State full-time averages vary: New South Wales about $109,658; Victoria $106,137; Queensland $106,064; South Australia $102,450; Western Australia $115,825; Tasmania $96,106; Northern Territory $103,173; ACT $119,090. Your OTE may be above or below these depending on your state.
Summary
OTE means ordinary time earnings. It is the base for super and the basis for the national full-time average. Use the ABS data to see where your salary sits.
Understanding OTE in your pay slip
Your pay slip may show ordinary time earnings separately. It includes base hourly rate × ordinary hours, plus allowances paid each period. Overtime is listed separately. The ATO’s updated guidance (August 2025) provides examples of what counts as OTE for super.
If you are an employer, you must pay super on OTE. If you are an employee, your OTE determines your super contributions. The national average gives you a benchmark for your ordinary time earnings.
OTE and the national line
The line on this site is the full-time adult ordinary time average: $2,083.70 per week. That is the OTE average for full-time workers. Your salary may include overtime, but the comparison uses ordinary time earnings only.
For more on job medians, see Job medians. For industry medians, see Industry medians.