Average Salary in Australia by Age, State and Industry (2026)

What is the average salary in Australia, and how does yours compare? The figures below draw on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Average Weekly Earnings survey and Australian Taxation Office (ATO) taxation statistics — the two most comprehensive income datasets in the country. Understanding the difference between the average and the median is critical: the average full-time salary is $99,100, but the median for all employees sits at $62,041. That gap exists because a relatively small number of very high earners in mining, finance, and technology pull the mean upward, leaving the median as the more useful benchmark for most Australians.

Average and Median Australian Salary (2026)

The gap between the average ($99,100) and the median ($62,041) is substantial — nearly $37,000 per year. This happens because the distribution of Australian wages is heavily skewed to the right: a relatively small number of workers in mining, investment banking, surgery, and executive roles earn $200,000–$500,000+, pulling the mean far above what most Australians experience. The median is the better measure of a “typical” wage — exactly half of all employees earn more and half earn less.

A separate figure sometimes quoted is the ATO’s median taxable income of around $55,868. This is lower than $62,041 because it includes everyone who lodged a tax return — including retirees drawing superannuation income, part-time students, and seasonal workers — not just full-year employees. For salary comparisons, the $62,041 figure from employee wage records is more relevant.

For a personalised ranking, use our Australian income percentile calculator. UK readers can compare using the average salary in the UK and the UK income percentile calculator.

Average Salary by Age

Australian salaries follow a familiar arc: rapid growth in your 20s as you gain skills and move into higher-paying roles, a plateau in your 30s and 40s at peak earning capacity, then a gradual decline from your 50s as some workers reduce hours or transition to less demanding roles before retirement.

Peak earnings occur between ages 35–44, when workers typically have 10–20 years of experience and have reached senior individual contributor or management roles. The decline after 54 reflects a combination of genuine reduced hours (many workers move part-time ahead of retirement), a generational effect (older cohorts had less access to high-paying degree-level roles), and voluntary downshifting.

The drop for workers aged 65+ is largely explained by a shift to part-time and casual work alongside drawing superannuation. Many Australians in this cohort are supplementing partial retirement income rather than working full-time.

Income Percentiles

Knowing where you rank against all Australian workers gives a more precise view than comparing against a single average.

Earning more than $100,000 puts you in roughly the top 25% of Australian workers. Crossing the $150,900 threshold places you in the top 10%. The $420,000 figure for the 99th percentile reflects Australia’s very high concentration of income at the top — dominated by mining executives, surgeons, investment bankers, and senior barristers.

To find your exact percentile, see our Australian income percentile calculator.

Average Salary by State

Australia’s regional salary differences are significant, though not as extreme as in some other countries. The ACT stands apart because the concentration of federal public service roles inflates the median well above other states. Western Australia benefits from the mining premium — fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) roles paying $120,000–$180,000 for trades work pull the state median upward substantially.

Note: Comparisons use $90,000 as the approximate national full-time median for state-level benchmarking, which reflects the midpoint of ABS and ATO data. The $99,100 headline figure is the average ordinary time earnings — the mean, not the median.

NSW and VIC salaries look lower than expected because they include the full range of workers across all industries and regions. Sydney and Melbourne house the highest-paid workers in the country, but the state-level median is dragged down by outer suburbs, regional areas, and lower-paid sectors. In practice, a professional working in the Sydney or Melbourne CBD will typically earn 20–30% above the state median.

The ACT’s premium reflects the federal public service — average public service salaries run from $75,000 for entry-level to $150,000+ for Senior Executive Service roles, and Canberra’s workforce is unusually concentrated in these bands. Tasmania and South Australia have lower medians due to a smaller presence of the highest-paying sectors (mining, technology, finance).

Average Salary by Industry

Industry choice is arguably the single most powerful lever on lifetime earnings — more so than geography, and often more than specific employer. The difference between a median salary in mining ($134,000) and accommodation and food services ($47,000) represents a gap of $87,000 per year before tax — compounding to a dramatic difference in wealth over a 30-year career.

Mining’s extreme median ($134,000) is heavily influenced by FIFO workers in WA, SA, and QLD who receive location-based allowances on top of base rates, often for 12-hour shifts on demanding rosters. The trade-off is real: FIFO work involves long stretches away from family, physically demanding conditions, and limited spending opportunities in remote locations — meaning many FIFO workers actually accumulate wealth faster than equivalent white-collar workers in cities.

Information technology and finance have both grown significantly as shares of total Australian employment over the past decade. Tech salaries are particularly compressed toward the upper range: a senior software engineer at a Melbourne or Sydney tech company routinely earns $130,000–$200,000, pulling the industry median upward.

Healthcare and education — which collectively employ over two million Australians — sit below the national median per employee because both sectors include a large proportion of part-time and casual workers (particularly women working around caring responsibilities).

Gender Pay Gap

The gender pay gap is one of the most discussed features of Australian wages data. The headline full-time earnings gap of approximately 12–14% means women earn roughly 86–88 cents for every dollar men earn in full-time work. But the broader total remuneration gap — which includes superannuation, overtime, and bonuses — is considerably larger.

The WGEA’s 21.8% total remuneration gap is the broadest measure: it captures the fact that men are more likely to receive bonuses, commissions, and overtime loadings, and accumulate higher superannuation balances as a result. The superannuation dimension is particularly significant: because women are more likely to take career breaks for caring responsibilities, work part-time, and cluster in lower-paid industries, the super gap compounds across a lifetime — leaving Australian women retiring with on average 23–25% less superannuation than men.

The gap is narrowest among workers aged under 30 (close to parity in many industries) and widens substantially from the mid-30s onwards — precisely the period when caring responsibilities most often diverge between men and women.

Industries with the largest gaps include mining, finance, and construction. Healthcare and education have relatively small gaps because pay scales tend to be award-based with limited discretionary bonuses. For a UK comparison, see gender pay gap UK 2026 — the pattern of sectoral variation is broadly similar, though the overall gap is somewhat smaller.

How to Increase Your Salary in Australia

Understanding your market rate is the foundation of any salary negotiation.

Benchmark your role. The tables above give sector-level medians, but role-level data is more actionable. Use LinkedIn Salary Insights, Seek Salary Checker, or APS (Australian Public Service) remuneration surveys for your specific job title and years of experience. If you’re paid at the 25th percentile for your role, you have a compelling case for a raise.

Request a formal salary review. Many Australian workers underestimate how receptive employers are to structured negotiation. Come prepared with market data, a documented list of your contributions over the past 12 months, and a specific number. Vague requests (“I’d like to discuss my salary”) produce vague outcomes.

Consider industry or sector transitions. The data above shows that crossing from retail or hospitality into tech, finance, or the public service can mean a $20,000–$50,000 uplift without requiring years of experience. Upskilling through a relevant certification (AWS, CPA, data analytics) often costs less than $5,000 and pays for itself within months.

Leverage the competitive market. A competing offer is the single most reliable salary lever available. Employers are far more likely to match market rates when a concrete offer is on the table. This isn’t just a negotiating tactic — it’s also how you verify that your current employer genuinely values your contribution.

Salary sacrifice into superannuation. This doesn’t increase your gross salary, but it increases your effective take-home pay by reducing the tax you pay. Concessional contributions (including employer SG) are taxed at 15% inside super, compared to your marginal rate of 32.5%–45% outside it. On a $90,000 salary, contributing an extra $10,000 per year to super via salary sacrifice saves approximately $1,750–$3,000 in income tax annually.

Track your net worth, not just your salary. A $100,000 salary with $50,000 in credit card debt and no super contributions is worth less than a $75,000 salary with maximum super contributions, no debt, and a growing share portfolio. See our average super balance by age guide to benchmark where your superannuation sits relative to peers.

Key Takeaways

1. Median Australian salary is $62,041 — more representative than the $99,100 mean average
2. ACT and WA pay the most — ACT for public service density, WA for mining premiums
3. Peak earnings are in the 35–44 age bracket at a median of $82,000
4. Top 10% earn $150,900+ — the top 1% threshold is approximately $420,000
5. Mining and tech are the highest-paying sectors; hospitality and retail the lowest
6. The gender pay gap is 13.2% for full-time salaries and 21.8% when total remuneration is included
7. Salary sacrifice is one of the most tax-effective tools available to Australian workers outside super

Sources

• Australian Bureau of Statistics. “Average Weekly Earnings, Australia.” abs.gov.au
• Australian Taxation Office. “Taxation Statistics 2022-23.” ato.gov.au
• Workplace Gender Equality Agency. “Gender Pay Gap Data.” wgea.gov.au

Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.