Curious about how your salary measures up against the average Aussie? The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has dropped its latest figures, revealing that the typical full-time Aussie worker is raking in more than $100,000 per year. But don’t fret if you’re not earning a six-figure salary, as it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being paid less than your neighbours or mates. These salary figures vary greatly based on factors like age, gender and industry, and we’ve broken down the data for you below.
According to the ABS (May 2024), full-time workers in Australia earn an average of $100,016 per year before tax, which works out to be roughly $1,923 per week. Male workers get paid the most at $104,744 per year, while females make an average of $92,706 per year – or a difference of $12,038.
It’s worth noting that the ABS statistics are based on average income, rather than median income, which would remove the impact of unusually low and high earners (which Australia has a lot of). If we dive into the ABS's median data (January 2024), Australians earn roughly $67,600 annually ($32,416 less than the average annual salary). This works out to be around $78,468 annually for male employees and $58,760 for females.
Want to have a sticky beak at what other people your age are earning? The financial advisors at Canstar broke down the data from ABS’s latest median annual income report by age category:
Australian men aged 35 to 54 bring in the biggest bucks, with a median annual salary of $103,955. This is followed by males aged 45 to 54, who are the only other group to exceed the $100,000 mark, with a median of $101,400.
For females, those aged 45 to 54 are the highest earners at a median salary of $85,800, with women aged 55 to 59 earning the second-largest sum at $83,314 — or a difference of $18,155 and $18,068 compared to their male counterparts. The only age group where females earned more than males was in the 15 to 19 age bracket, at $42,540 to $40,144.
If you’re considering a career change, the ABS data also revealed the highest-paying industries in Australia. Workers in the mining sector top the list, earning an impressive $156,870 per year. The next biggest money-making industries were information media and telecommunications; financial and insurance services; professional scientific and technical services; and electricity, gas, water and waste services. You can see a full breakdown of the statistics here.
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