{"id":100345,"date":"2024-02-21T01:14:34","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T01:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arielle.com.au\/?p=100345"},"modified":"2026-08-06T23:27:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T23:27:50","slug":"average-australian-salary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arielle.com.au\/average-australian-salary\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The Average Australian Salary In 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 7<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Australia is one of the richest countries on Earth. So why do so many Australians feel broke? In late 2025, Australia ranked second-richest in the world by median wealth per adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 1 in 10 Australians is technically a millionaire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that mostly hinges on property ownership, which is technically “paper money”. You can’t exactly use that $1 million in locked-up equity to buy veggies at Coles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how much does the average<\/em> Australian really make – and how do you compare?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Key Takeaways:<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
A typical Aussie<\/strong> takes home an average of $80-$100K, but the more accurate median is around $74-90K.<\/td><\/tr>
Highest earners<\/strong> are employed in mining, utilities, finance and professional services.<\/td><\/tr>
Workers in the ACT<\/strong> have the highest median salary. Surprisingly, public sector workers generally out-earn private sector employees.<\/td><\/tr>
Male workers<\/strong> out-earn female employees across all sectors, but the gap is declining.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Important!<\/h3><\/div>

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.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Brutal Truth About Australian Salaries (By Industry And State)<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you work in mining, you\u2019re far more likely to earn an above-average income. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expect average weekly earnings of $3,174.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But other high-paying sectors include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sector<\/th>Avg. Weekly Earnings<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Information media & telecommunications<\/strong> (includes online publishing, data storage\/software)<\/td>$2,685.10<\/td><\/tr>
Professional, scientific and technical services<\/strong><\/td>$2,375.90<\/td><\/tr>
Financial and insurance services<\/strong><\/td>$2,338.60<\/td><\/tr>
Utilities<\/strong> such as electricity, gas, water and waste services<\/td>$2,514.20<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Related: How To Invest Money In Australia<\/a>.)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not surprisingly – given the state\u2019s expansive mining sector – full-time employees in Western Australia earn the second-highest average weekly salary in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Important!<\/h3><\/div>

Workers in South Australia and Tasmania, meanwhile, earn the lowest average weekly wages.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Above: WA leads the pack, while Tasmania continues to lag.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Much Do Australians Earn On Average, Weekly & Annually?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)\u00a0data from November 2025<\/a>, full-time workers in Australia, on average, bring home:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n