What is the minimum wage in Australia?
The national minimum wage in Australia is the legal floor for pay. From 1 July 2026, Fair Work set it at $26.44 an hour, $1004.9 a week, or about $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week. This figure applies to employees not covered by an award or registered agreement. Most workers earn more because they are covered by an award or enterprise agreement that sets a higher rate.
How the minimum wage sits against the national line
The Place a salary on the line tool uses the national full-time adult ordinary-time average from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026: $2083.7 a week, about $108,352 a year. The minimum wage is roughly half that. The gap shows how far the legal minimum is from the typical full-time salary. For a worker on the minimum wage, the line would be well below the national average.
Award and state differences
While the national minimum wage is the same everywhere, awards can push pay higher. For example, the retail award or hospitality award often pay above the minimum. The 4.75% increase in award minimums from 1 July 2026 means many award-covered workers earn more than the national minimum wage. State full-time averages also vary: States and territories data shows Western Australia at $115,825, while Tasmania is $96,008. These differences reflect industry mix and cost of living, not a different minimum wage.
Medians and the minimum
The full-time median from the ABS Employee earnings, August 2025, is about $90,532 a year. The all-employees median is about $74,100. Both are well above the minimum wage, indicating that most workers earn significantly more than the floor. The minimum wage is a safety net, not a typical salary.
Tax and take-home pay
On the minimum wage of $52,255, the 2026–27 tax rates apply: nil up to $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000. Plus the Medicare levy of 2%. A worker on the minimum wage would pay about $5,092 in tax plus $1,045 Medicare levy, leaving about $46,118 after tax. Compare that to the national average salary of $108,352, which would attract about $24,667 tax plus $2,167 Medicare levy, leaving about $81,518.
Why the minimum wage matters
The minimum wage sets the base for pay negotiations, award rates, and enterprise agreements. It is reviewed annually by Fair Work. The 2026 increase of 4.75% was above inflation for that year, aiming to maintain real wages for low-paid workers. For anyone earning near the minimum, the line on this site will show a large gap below the national average.
Using the site
To see where your salary sits, Place a salary on the line and compare it to the national full-time average. You can also explore States and territories to see how your location compares. The site uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for the line, not the minimum wage. The minimum wage is a separate benchmark from Fair Work.
Summary
The national minimum wage in Australia from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1004.9 a week, about $52,255 a year. It is about half the national full-time average of $108,352. Awards and enterprise agreements often set higher rates. State averages vary, but the minimum wage floor is uniform across Australia. Use the site to compare your pay against the national line.