Published: Last Updated:
Readtime: 8 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
The average Australian salary is $1,923.40 per week or $100,016.80 annually, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (May, 2024). This represents an increase of 4.5% year-on-year. However, before you benchmark yourself against this skewed average, you’re better off looking at the median salary as that gives you a clearer picture of what the average Australian earns every year.
The median weekly earnings are much lower than the average at $1,300 per week for all employees ($67,600 annually). This is broken down into $1,509 for males ($78,468 annually) and $1,130 for females ($58,760 annually), according to the ABS (January, 2024). The difference between the average and median salary is due to a skewed distribution with a long tail, or in simple terms, there are a small number of high-paid employees that skew the average Australian salary higher.
Average Salary Data at a Glance
- Average salary in Australia: $1,924.60 per week ($100,016.80 annually)
- Males: $2,214.70 (public), and $1,978.00 (private)
- Females: $1,995.30 (public), and $1,698.40 (private)
- Median salary in Australia: $1,300 per week ($67,600 annually)
- Males: $1,509 ($78,468 annually)
- Females: $1,130 ($58,760 annually)
- Highest paying Industry: Mining at $3,015.30 per week ($156,795.60 annually)
- Male: $3,107 ($161,564 annually)
- Female: $2,651.20 ($137,862.40 annually)
- Highest earning state: ACT at $2,126.50 per week ($110,578 annually)
Industry-wise, mining remains the sector with the highest pay, with an average salary of $3,015.30 per week. Meanwhile, the public sector remains the most lucrative, with males earning an average of $2,214.70 per week and females earning $1,995.30 per week.
Still, if you want to compare how you stack up with your peers, we’ve broken down the average Australian salary by age, industry, and state in detail below.
RELATED: These are the highest-paying jobs in Australia.
Median Full-Time Australian Salary by Age
Full-time worker’s median salary in Australia by age:
- 15-19: $800 per week ($41,600 annually)
- 20-24 years old: $1,190.30 per week ($61,895.60 annually)
- 25-34 years old: $1,538.00 per week ($79,976 annually)
- 35-44 years old: $1,821.00 per week ($94,692 annually)
- 45-54 years and older: $1,800.00 per week ($93,600 annually)
- 55-59 years and older: $1,750.00 per week ($91,000 annually)
- 60-64 years and older: $1,567.80 per week ($81,525 annually)
- 65 years and older: $1,536.60 per week ($79,903.20 annually)
Part-time worker’s median salary in Australia by age:
- 15-19: $200 per week ($10,400 annually)
- 20-24 years old: $594.50 per week ($30,914 annually)
- 25-34 years old: $750 per week ($39,000 annually)
- 35-44 years old: $850 per week ($44,200 annually)
- 45-54 years and older: $849.70 per week ($44,184.40 annually)
- 55-59 years and older: $800 per week ($41,600 annually)
- 60-64 years and older: $800 per week ($41,600 annually)
- 65 years and older: $600 per week ($31,200 annually)
Age has a significant impact on salaries in Australia. For example, people in casual employment receive a wage according to their age – the younger they are, the lower the wage. According to the ABS, between 35 and 44 years old is when you are earning the most, with a median weekly salary of $1,821.00 per week ($94,692 annually) for a full-time worker.
Young people suffer when it comes to wages, which can be attributed to job types, as young people often rely on casual work while studying. The youngest age bracket provided by the ABS suggests full-time workers are 15-19 years old, $800 per week ($41,600 annually), while part-time workers earn $200 per week ($10,400 annually).
However, a leading research analyst at the University of Sydney, Damien Oliver, suggests that discrimination may also be at play. “There is plenty of evidence to show that the labour market is strong and sophisticated enough to promote employment opportunities for young people without resorting to discrimination,” he writes.
This information supports the growing theme of an increasingly hostile environment for many young millennials in the Australian workforce. The average salary for persons under 20 is the lowest, which is about 7 per cent of Australia’s labour force. Additionally, the average wage earned by people aged 20-24 years old is significantly higher at $1,190.30 per week ($61,895.60 annually) but still nowhere near the higher age brackets.
Average Australian Salary by Industry
Wage growth in Australia saw an increase of 4.5% year-on-year. However, the same industries continue to dominate this list. The mining industry remains the most lucrative with an average weekly salary of $3,015.30 or $156,795.60 annually. On the other hand, the accommodation and food services industry has the lowest average salary with average weekly earnings of $1,421 or $73,892 per year.
Different industries have different wage brackets, and depending on what industry you go into, this table below will give you a better idea of wage opportunities.
| Industry | Persons | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining | $3,015.30 | $3,107.00 | $2,651.20 |
| Manufacturing | $1,706.70 | $1,746.30 | $1,562.00 |
| Electricity, gas, water & waste services | $2,243.80 | $2,307.10 | $2,033.30 |
| Construction | $1,821.80 | $1,840.00 | $1,701.30 |
| Wholesale trade | $1,790.60 | $1,863.80 | $1,625.20 |
| Retail trade | $1,454.50 | $1,503.70 | $1,386.70 |
| Accommodation & food services | $1,421.00 | $1,494.30 | $1,324.10 |
| Transport, postal & warehousing | $1,893.20 | $1,930.00 | $1,753.60 |
| Information media & telecommunications | $2,437.20 | $2,582.90 | $2,144.00 |
| Financial & insurance services | $2,283.20 | $2,497.90 | $2,048.20 |
| Rental, hiring & real estate services | $1,789.60 | $1,911.00 | $1,630.00 |
| Professional, scientific & technical services | $2,245.40 | $2,448.60 | $1,926.90 |
| Administrative & support services | $1,723.70 | $1,857.40 | $1,513.40 |
| Public administration & safety | $2,036.10 | $2,078.80 | $1,984.80 |
| Education & training | $2,026.40 | $2,127.10 | $1,974.60 |
| Health care & social assistance | $1,902.40 | $2,226.80 | $1,765.10 |
| Arts & recreation services | $1,797.30 | $1,931.20 | $1,616.90 |
| Other services | $1,457.80 | $1,497.30 | $1,401.00 |
| Total all industries | $1,923.40 | $2,014.30 | $1,782.80 |
Join Our Exclusive Community!
WINNER– Website of the Year, 2024
WINNER– Best Media Platform, 2023
Average Australian Salary by State
While mining is the highest-earning industry on average in Australia, that hasn’t helped Western Australia retain its position at the top of the states. The politicians have had their revenge, and the ACT is now the state with the highest earnings in Australia. The average worker in the ACT has an average salary of $2,107.70 per week or $109,600.40 annually, besting ACT workers who rake in $2,126.50 per week or $110,578 annually. Comparatively, Tasmanians are barely scraping by with an average weekly salary of $1,710.80 or $88,961.60 annually.
| Persons | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $1,935.70 | $2,013.00 | $1,814.90 |
| VIC | $1,882.00 | $1,962.70 | $1,757.40 |
| QLD | $1,901.00 | $2,002.10 | $1,750.60 |
| SA | $1,776.90 | $1,843.20 | $1,662.20 |
| WA | $2,094.30 | $2,257.60 | $1,819.70 |
| TAS | $1,710.80 | $1,741.60 | $1,654.70 |
| NT | $1,845.80 | $1,976.30 | $1,712.10 |
| ACT | $2,126.50 | $2,215.30 | $2,027.30 |
| Aust. | $1,923.40 | $2,014.30 | $1,782.80 |
How Large is the Gender Pay Gap in Australia?
In Australia, full-time working men earn more than full-time working women, and the gender pay gap currently stands at 10.2% for ordinary-time cash earnings and 13% for total cash earnings. This is represented in the following amounts:
- Median weekly cash earnings for men – $1,786 per week (full-time worker)
- Median weekly cash earnings for females – $1,600 per week (full-time worker)
Gender has a strong impact on the median income of Australians. While the weekly income for males is still $186 higher than for females when comparing full-time workers (according to data provided by the ABS), the fact remains that many women do not work full-time. As such, the data for all employees varies considerably, with women earning $1,130 per week compared to $1,509 for men.
This pay gap is evident in the overwhelming majority of industries, including modelling and sex work, with the gender pay gap nearing $1b per week, according to figures reported by news.com.au. Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) director Libby Lyons said even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Australian employers had become “complacent” about gender equality. One shocking reality is that gender pay gaps are often influenced by discrimination and bias.
The pay gap is also influenced by women and men working in different industries and jobs, with women dominating part-time and casual work. Also, women take up a huge share of unpaid caring and domestic work and spend greater time out of the workforce which impacts their ability to work in senior roles.
Average Australian Salary Over Time
With the average salary in Australia sitting at $1,888.80 per week, the average annual wage has skyrocketed beyond $98,217.60 annually (pre-tax). However, the year-on-year increases highlight an issue with wage growth. Aussie full-time workers may be earning 4.5 per cent more than they were last year, but the rate is barely ahead of Australia’s inflation rate that’s in a recovery stage and sitting around 4.1%, according to the Consumer Price Index.
| Persons | Males ($) | Females ($) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2012 | $1,401.50 | $1,493.60 | $1,245.50 |
| November 2012 | $1,441.00 | $1,533.00 | $1,281.80 |
| May 2013 | $1,464.40 | $1,555.70 | $1,301.60 |
| November 2013 | $1483.50 | $1,574.90 | $1,323.40 |
| May 2014 | $1,502.50 | $1,604.70 | $1,329.90 |
| November 2014 | $1,528.40 | $1,634.50 | $1,351.70 |
| May 2015 | $1,537.30 | $1,641.60 | $1,368.50 |
| November 2015 | $1,556.50 | $1,654.70 | $1,392.00 |
| May 2016 | $1,568.30 | $1,661.70 | $1,411.30 |
| November 2016 | $1,584.30 | $1,677.40 | $1,430.20 |
| May 2017 | $1,594.10 | $1,683.60 | $1,444.90 |
| November 2017 | $1,615.30 | $1,704.60 | $1,466.60 |
| May 2018 | $1,631.10 | $1,717.40 | $1,488.20 |
| November 2018 | $1,651.30 | $1,735.80 | $1,512.90 |
| May 2019 | $1,681.60 | $1,768.00 | $1,542.60 |
| November 2019 | $1,706.20 | $1,791.40 | $1,567.90 |
| May 2020 | $1,762.20 | $1,853.10 | $1,618.00 |
| November 2020 | $1,757.20 | $1,842.50 | $1,619.40 |
| May 2021 | $1,783.70 | $1,876.60 | $1,633.20 |
| November 2021 | $1,794.60 | $1,885.60 | $1,648.70 |
| May 2022 | $1,816.10 | $1,912.50 | $1,665.80 |
| November 2022 | $1,851.30 | $1,944.40 | $1,707.00 |
| May 2023 | $1,883.10 | $1,976.80 | $1,740.90 |
| November 2023 | $1,934.80 | $2,021.10 | $1,802.80 |
| May 2024 | $1,972.60 | $2,054.80 | $1,845.40 |
Weekly Australian Tax Table
The Australian government offers a weekly tax table tool, which helps work out salaries, taxes, and everything in between. To use this table, you need to work out the withholding amount. Start by calculating your employee’s total weekly earnings and add any allowances and irregular payments that are to be included in this week’s pay to the normal weekly earnings, ignoring cents. Use the appropriate column to find the correct amount to withhold. If your employee is claiming the tax-free threshold, use column 2 or column 3 if not.
The next few steps are shown to you in the tool, which you can find here.
