Average Salary Australia 2026: How Much Do You Take Home?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics puts average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults at $2,083.70 in May 2026 (seasonally adjusted). Over a full year that is about $108,352 before tax. Below is what that leaves after 2026-27 income tax and the Medicare levy, how it differs by state, and what changes if you have HECS or no hospital cover.
Personalise it: free Australian pay calculator.
Take-home pay on the average full-time wage (2026-27)
| Item | Annual | Monthly | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross (ABS average) | $108,352 | $9,029 | $2,084 |
| Income tax | −$23,026 | −$1,919 | −$443 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | −$2,167 | −$181 | −$42 |
| Take-home (no HECS) | $83,159 | $6,930 | $1,599 |
| Take-home with HECS | $77,335 | $6,445 | $1,487 |
| Employer super (12% SG, on top) | $13,002 | $1,084 | $250 |
Gross is the ABS weekly figure × 52. Source: ABS: Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, May 2026. Tax uses 2026-27 ATO resident rates for a single person with no other income.
Split using ATO resident rates for 2026-27. Super (12% SG) is paid by your employer on top and is not deducted from take-home.
Average full-time wage by state
Average full-time ordinary earnings vary by more than $23,082 a year between the highest (Australian Capital Territory) and the lowest (Tasmania). Income tax is federal, so the same salary is taxed the same in every state; the difference is in what people earn.
| State / territory | Weekly (ABS) | Annual | Take-home / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | $2,290.20 | $119,090 | $90,461 |
| Western Australia | $2,227.40 | $115,825 | $88,240 |
| New South Wales | $2,108.80 | $109,658 | $84,048 |
| Victoria | $2,041.10 | $106,137 | $81,653 |
| Queensland | $2,039.70 | $106,064 | $81,604 |
| Northern Territory | $1,984.10 | $103,173 | $79,638 |
| South Australia | $1,970.20 | $102,450 | $79,146 |
| Tasmania | $1,846.30 | $96,008 | $74,766 |
State figures are the ABS original (not seasonally adjusted) series for May 2026.
Medicare levy surcharge at the average wage
The 2026-27 surcharge starts above $105,000 for singles, so a single person on the average full-time wage without private hospital cover is in Tier 1 and would pay about $1,084 a year extra (1%). See the MLS calculator to check your own position.
Average vs median — which matters?
The average wage is pulled up by high earners, so the median (the middle worker) is lower. When comparing job offers, ignore the headline average and calculate your net pay — HECS and the Medicare levy surcharge can swing results by thousands.
Progressive rates: you only pay each rate on income inside that band. Source: ATO resident tax rates.