Last updated: December 17th, 2025
Australia is one of the richest countries on Earth. So why do so many Australians feel broke? In 2025, Australia ranked second-richest in the world by median wealth per adult.
Nearly 1 in 10 Australians is technically a millionaire.
But that mostly hinges on property ownership. And we all know wealth isn’t evenly distributed.
The Australian Productivity Commission found the number of households living on below-average incomes was increasing. And that Aussies from a poor background have a harder time climbing the income ladder.
So how much does the average Australian really make – and how do you compare?
| Key Takeaways: |
|---|
| A typical Aussie takes home an average of $80-$100K, but the more accurate median is around $74-90K. |
| Highest earners are employed in mining, utilities, finance and professional services. |
| Workers in the ACT have the highest median salary. Surprisingly, public sector workers generally out-earn private sector employees. |
| Male workers out-earn female employees across all sectors, but the gap is declining. |
Let’s explore what the average salary in Australia is, how incomes vary across different states and industries, and what you can expect from wages in 2026.
Important!
Aggregate salary averages are notoriously poor at providing you with meaningful insights. I’ve segmented the data (by state, industry, gender, and more) to provide you with a more sophisticated snapshot of Aussie incomes.
The Brutal Truth About Australian Salaries (By Industry And State).
If you work in mining, you’re far more likely to earn an above-average income.
Expect average weekly earnings of $3,174.50.
But other high-paying sectors include:
| Sector | Avg. Weekly Earnings |
|---|---|
| Information media & telecommunications (includes online publishing, data storage/software) | $2,560.70 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | $2,327.60 |
| Financial and insurance services | $2,323.70 |
| Utilities such as electricity, gas, water and waste services | $2,366.80 |
At the state level, the Australian Capital Territory tops the list for average full-time earnings – largely because well-paid public-sector roles dominate its workforce.
(Related: How To Invest Money In Australia.)
Not surprisingly – given the state’s expansive mining sector – full-time employees in Western Australia earn the second-highest average weekly salary in Australia.
Important!
Workers in South Australia and Tasmania, meanwhile, earn the lowest average weekly wages.
Above: WA leads the pack, while Tasmania continues to lag.
How Much Do Australians Earn On Average, Weekly & Annually?
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data from 2025, full-time workers in Australia, on average, bring home:
- $2,011.40 in weekly income (or $2,086.30 if you include overtime earnings).
- Approximately $104,572 in annual income (based on ordinary weekly income X 52 weeks).
These are pre-tax numbers, but exclude any amounts salary sacrificed.
Important!
Of course, not everyone works full-time. Around 19%, or 2.4 million, of all Aussie workers have casual jobs with earnings that vary week-to-week.
According to the same ABS data from the May 2025 reference period, when you account for all workers – including part-time employees – the average income per week is more than 20% lower at $1,541.90.
Although the national minimum wage increased by 3.50% in 2025 – at $24.95 an hour, it equates to just $948 per week.
Important!
In some industries, annual salaries may also be boosted by bonuses.
For instance, an ABS Earnings Indicator update found salaries paid by employers rose by over 5% in some industries in September 2025 due to the payment of cyclical bonuses.
(Related: When Will RBA Finally Cut Interest Rates?)
This Is What The Middle Australian Really Earns.
Average salary figures are great for sensationalist headlines, but are poor at providing meaningful insights.
Did You Know?
A small number of very high earners can skew the average salary data upward, masking what most Australians actually earn. Median income cuts through that distortion and tells a far more honest story.
If we instead turn to the median – the exact middle number in a range – we find a typical income for employed Australians is closer to $1,425 per week, or roughly $74,100 annually (based on ABS data from August 2025).
That’s 7.5% less than the average salary.
Full-time workers earn a median salary of $1,741 per week, or ~$90,532 per year.
Important!
Australian Capital Territory workers rake in the highest median salary at $83,200, while Tasmanian and South Australian employees receive the lowest at $67,600.
What Australians Earn When You Count Income From All Sources.
The ABS also tracks total personal income – not just wages.
This includes earnings from Aussies’ jobs, businesses they own, stock portfolio gains and superannuation income.
The latest release, based on data from 2022-23, shows that Australians aged 45-54 years old had the highest median total income – $80,926.
The ACT leads the country once all income sources are factored in.
| Median Income (22-23) | Median Income Growth (Last Year) | Median Income Growth (Since 2018-19) | Income Share (Top 1% earners) | Income Share (Top 5% earners) | Income Share (Top 10% earners) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $58,216 | 5.7% | 18.6% | 9.9% | 22.8% | 34.0% |
| New South Wales | $58,909 | 6.9% | 19.0% | 11.2% | 24.6% | 35.8% |
| Victoria | $57,907 | 5.8% | 18.7% | 9.8% | 22.7% | 33.9% |
| Queensland | $56,708 | 4.9% | 18.4% | 8.4% | 20.9% | 32.2% |
| South Australia | $55,782 | 4.6% | 16.4% | 8.1% | 20.5% | 31.4% |
| Western Australia | $62,207 | 4.7% | 19.9% | 10.4% | 22.9% | 34.0% |
| Tasmania | $53,479 | 5.6% | 18.8% | 7.5% | 19.5% | 30.3% |
| Northern Territory | $66,831 | 2.3% | 15.9% | 7.1% | 18.2% | 28.6% |
| Australian Capital Territory | $75,643 | 4.9% | 16.5% | 7.0% | 18.9% | 29.4% |
Source: ABS, Personal income in Australia 2022-23 financial year (released November 2025).
Who You’re Comparing Your Salary to Is Probably Wrong.
Median and average salary figures are blunt instruments.
Let’s say you earn $150,000.
You might look at the national median and think: “Nice – I’m more than 50% ahead – I can coast.”
But that comparison is meaningless – because you’re not competing in the “average Australian” labour market.
Let’s say you are:
- 40 years old.
- Living in Sydney.
- Working a white-collar job.
- Smart (IQ of 115 – one standard deviation above the mean).
- Conscientious.
- Caucasian.
- Male.
Did You Know?
All of the above are strong predictors of high income – especially general cognitive ability and conscientiousness.
Add seniority, industry, and job function, and you’re in a very different income universe to the national median.
So if you want to be rigorous, the relevant question isn’t:
It’s:
And that’s the gap: ABS headline salary stats can’t tell you your “cohort median.”
They’re designed to summarise the whole country – not benchmark your pay against your true peer group.
In other words: you’re not “ahead of the average Australian.”
You might actually be behind the median for your lane – and the average Australian salary stats won’t warn you.
Apart from the factors I outlined above, your pay is also shaped by forces like:
| The profit margins in your chosen industry, e.g., how much can your employer afford to pay? Hospitality and automotive jobs pay far less than finance and healthcare. |
| Your ability to take feedback, especially when you’re pushing for a salary increase at your current job. |
| How difficult, risky, or inconvenient your work is. CBD baristas and FIFO offshore oil rig welders are in different cohorts. |
| How scarce your skills are. Skills shortages can force employers to offer higher salaries to compete for a small pool of qualified hires. |
| Your tolerance for risk and leadership skills. For example, some senior executives at large listed companies raked in pay rises more than double the rate of inflation. |
Average Weekly Earnings In Australia By Gender And Sector.
ABS data shows men out-earn women in both the public and private sectors.
The public sector attracted a higher average wage, at $2,167 per week across all full-time employees, compared to average earnings of $1,966 working full-time in the private sector.
| Average Weekly Salary | Full-time Employees | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Sector | $2,167.80 | $2,292.10 | $2,065.30 |
| Private Sector | $1,966.00 | $2,070.10 | $1,777.80 |
The pay gap fell to 21.1% in 2024-25, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
That’s technically a decrease of 0.7 from 2023-24. That means, on average, women earn over $28K less than men each year.
WGEA measures the difference in average earnings between women and men in the workforce. The “gender pay gap” is expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings.
Important!
Averages hide nuance. Real insight comes from breaking data into segments.
But it falls short of analysing earning disparities in a way that accounts for individual choices, such as:
- Number of hours worked (men work more hours on average).
- Type of employment (women are less likely to work full-time).
- Direction (men are more likely to choose professions where their skills scale – e.g., technology).
- Time off work (women take more time off – often to raise children).
- Nature of work (women are less likely to choose roles where aggression predicts success – e.g., sales).
Workplace policies that help “break down gender norms” are credited with helping to narrow the gap this year – as evidenced by an uptick in men taking primary carer parental leave.
All the more reason for women to know how to present themselves confidently, ask for pay rises, and demonstrate their leadership skills.
(Related: Will Australia Go Into A Recession In 2026?)
How Does The Cost Of Living In Australia Affect Salaries?
Your take-home pay buys you less when purchasing power is eroded by inflation.
Rising prices across essential goods and services saw many Aussies struggling in 2023-24, in what many social welfare groups describe as a cost of living crisis.
While inflation had abated earlier in 2025, with the CPI (consumer price index) falling to within target range at 2.4% in the March quarter – it didn’t last.
A price growth shock saw headline inflation rise to 3.2% in the September 2025 quarter, and 3.8% in the October CPI print.
(Related: Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges In Australia.)
Between 2021-24 wages weren’t keeping up with CPI rises, meaning ‘real’ incomes were falling.
That’s just 0.2% above inflation for the same period.
Wages are increasing, but not substantially faster than prices.
What Size Pay Rise Should You Expect In 2026?
You might typically expect to receive a pay rise every year or so based on performance, but that’s not always the case.
But 15% of the 600 respondents surveyed by AHRI said a pay freeze was likely. And 16% weren’t sure how wages would change in 2026.
(Related: How To Buy Gold In Australia.)
Professional services firm Mercer said that its 2025 remuneration survey involving 1,300 Australian organisations found:
- Hiring intentions were the lowest they’d been in five years.
- A weaker labour market could subdue salary increases, with salary budgets forecast to drop to 3.5% in 2026.
But for now, Australia’s talent market is tight – unemployment is low at 4.3% and forecast to soften slightly to 4.4% over 2026.
That means there’s scope for people looking to get a raise or change jobs to secure a higher salary.
While workers are human beings, not commodities, to a large extent, the size of your salary is determined by supply and demand in the market.
If you’re in demand, maybe it’s time to get that bread!
Jody
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Regular citizen says:
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