What is the average salary in Australia?
The most widely used measure of the average salary in Australia is the ABS Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) for full-time adult ordinary-time workers. As of May 2026, that figure is $2,083.70 per week, which comes to $108,352 a year when multiplied by 52. This is the figure used on this site as the national line.
How the average is measured
The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, for May and November. It is not a quarterly release. The figure covers full-time adult employees in ordinary time, excluding overtime. It is a mean, so it can be influenced by very high salaries. For a more typical picture, many analysts also look at the median.
Average vs median
The average salary of $108,352 is noticeably higher than the full-time median of $90,532 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). The median tells you that half of all full-time workers earn less than that amount. The all-employees median (including part-time and casual workers) is $74,100. The gap between the average and the median reflects the skew from high earners in sectors like mining, finance and professional services.
State averages
Average salaries vary across states and territories. The highest full-time average is in the Australian Capital Territory at $119,090, followed by Western Australia at $115,825. New South Wales averages $109,658, Victoria $106,137, Queensland $106,064, South Australia $102,450, Tasmania $96,008, and the Northern Territory $103,173. These are all full-time adult ordinary-time averages from the same ABS survey.
Minimum wage comparison
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week. Award minimums rose by 4.75% at the same time. The average salary is more than double the minimum wage, but many workers on awards or enterprise agreements earn above the minimum but still below the average.
Take-home pay sketch
For a resident earning the average $108,352 average in 2026–27, the tax brackets are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% above $190,000
Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (before any reductions).
A quick calculation: tax on $108,352 is about $23,026 plus Medicare levy $2,167, total deductions $25,193, leaving around $83,159 net. That works out to about $1,599 per week and $42.08 per hour on a 38-hour week.
This is a rough sketch. Actual take-home can be lower if you have a HECS debt, private health insurance, or other deductions.
Where to place your salary
You can place a salary on the line to see how your pay compares to the national average, state averages, and other benchmarks. You can also explore states and territories for more detail.
Summary
The average salary in Australia is a useful benchmark, but it is not the only one. The median, minimum wage, and state averages give a fuller picture. For most workers, the average is a useful reference, but many earn less than it. The site uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings as the line, and the medians and minimum wage from the ABS and Fair Work respectively.