Where does your salary sit?
If you are a full-time employee in Australia, the national benchmark is $108,352 per year before tax. That figure comes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, which found full-time adult ordinary time earnings of $2,083.70 per week. Multiply by 52 weeks and you have the line that this site uses to show how your pay compares.
But the average is only one part of the picture. Your own salary may be above or below that line for many reasons: your industry, occupation, location, gender, whether you work in the public or private sector, and how your pay is set. This article explains the main factors that move pay up or down relative to the national full-time average.
How to compare your salary
The tool on this page lets you enter your yearly salary before tax. It then calculates your weekly and hourly equivalent (based on a 38-hour week) and shows the distance from the national full-time average. You can also see how you compare with the median – the middle point where half of full-time employees earn more and half earn less. The full-time median from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025) is about $90,532 per year, well below the average because high earners pull the average up.
Place a salary on the line to see your own position.
What pushes pay above the average?
Industry and occupation are the strongest drivers. The ABS reports that managers and professionals have the highest hourly earnings – $69.20 and $64.50 respectively in August 2025. Industries such as mining, information media, and financial services typically pay above the national average. If you work in one of these sectors, your salary is likely to be above the line.
Location also matters. Full-time average weekly earnings are highest in the Australian Capital Territory ($119,090 per year) and Western Australia ($115,825), partly due to the concentration of public service and mining jobs. New South Wales ($109,658) and Victoria ($106,137) are close to the national average, while Tasmania ($96,008) and South Australia ($102,450) are below.
Public sector employment tends to pay more on average. The ABS shows public sector full-time ordinary time earnings of $2,263.10 per week (about $117,681 per year) compared with $2,034.10 in the private sector (about $105,773). This gap reflects the higher proportion of professional and managerial roles in government.
Gender remains a factor. Men's full-time average ordinary time earnings are about $113,412 per year, while women's are about $100,594. The difference narrows when comparing like occupations and hours, but the overall average still shows a gap.
What pulls pay below the average?
Working in lower-paying industries such as retail, hospitality, or agriculture will typically place your salary below the national full-time average. These industries often have award rates that are close to the minimum wage.
Part-time or casual work is not directly comparable to the full-time average, but many part-time employees earn less than the full-time median. The all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100 per year, reflecting the large number of people working fewer hours.
Your method of setting pay can also matter. The ABS found that 38.5% of employees have their pay set by individual arrangement, 34.6% by collective agreement, and the rest by award or other methods. Award-covered employees are more likely to be on or near the minimum rates, which are lower than the average.
The minimum wage floor
No matter what, your pay cannot fall below the legal minimum. From 1 July 2026, the National Minimum Wage set by Fair Work is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week. On a 38-hour week that works out to about $52,255 per year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% in the same review. If you are covered by an award or enterprise agreement, check the specific rates – they may be higher than the national minimum.
Medians give a different view
The average is pulled up by high earners. The median full-time total cash earnings from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025) is $1,887 per week, or about $98,124 per year. That is closer to what a typical full-time worker earns. The all-employees median is $1,436 per week ($74,672 per year). If your salary is above the median but below the average, you are still ahead of most people.
How to use this information
Enter your salary in the tool to see exactly where you stand. If you are below the average, consider whether your industry, location, or role might be the reason. If you are above, you may be in a high-paying sector or have negotiated well. The Job medians page can show typical earnings for your occupation, and the States and territories page shows regional differences.
Remember that the average is just a reference point. Your personal circumstances – hours worked, experience, qualifications, and bargaining power – all affect what you earn. The ABS and Fair Work provide the official data, but your own salary is unique.