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The ACT has the highest May 2026 full-time adult ordinary earnings mean at $2,290.20 a week, followed by Western Australia at $2,227.40. The Australian average is $2,083.70. These are before-tax weekly earnings, with employer super and overtime excluded.
The latest comparable state figures
This table uses the ABS May 2026 original series, published on 13 August 2026. It is the latest Average Weekly Earnings release available at 2 October 2026. Every state uses the same full-time adult ordinary earnings measure.
Annual figures are the published weekly mean multiplied by 52, rounded to a whole dollar for readability. They help compare a weekly statistic with an annual job advertisement. They are not measured annual salaries and do not include irregular annual bonuses or every component of a package.
| State or territory | Weekly | Annual equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | $2,290.20 | $119,090 |
| Western Australia | $2,227.40 | $115,825 |
| New South Wales | $2,108.80 | $109,658 |
| Victoria | $2,041.10 | $106,137 |
| Queensland | $2,039.70 | $106,064 |
| Northern Territory | $1,984.10 | $103,173 |
| South Australia | $1,970.20 | $102,450 |
| Tasmania | $1,846.30 | $96,008 |
| Australia | $2,083.70 | $108,352 |
The mean covers full-time adult employee jobs. It is before tax and excludes employer super, overtime and salary sacrifice. It is not the personal income of all residents. Annual equivalents are conversions rather than measured annual salaries.
The ranking answers a specific question
The mean shows average earnings across the defined employee population. It does not tell you what the middle worker earns or establish a pay rate for a particular occupation. States have different mixtures of industries, jobs and hours, which can affect their averages.
Victoria and Queensland illustrate the limits of a ranking. Their weekly means are only $1.40 apart. Choosing between two individual offers needs the duties, hours, cash salary and conditions, rather than treating that small statewide difference as a personal pay advantage.
State, city and residence are different labels
Average Weekly Earnings is an employer survey. Its state figures are based on employer units in each state or territory. They are not the personal income of everyone who lives there. A person’s home location can differ from the location of their employer or work.
A statewide average also cannot be renamed a Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth salary. The individual guides include separately labelled August 2025 main-job medians for capital cities and the rest of the state where available. Those household-survey figures use usual residence, include part-time employees and cover a different period.
Use the benchmark to improve the job comparison
First separate cash salary from employer super and other benefits. Then put ordinary hours, paid weeks, guaranteed allowances and expected overtime beside the offer. A package including super, a salary plus super and a weekly casual rate do not become comparable simply because the dollar totals are similar.
Calculate the take-home cash under the same tax settings for each offer. Include HELP where relevant and the same hospital-cover assumptions. Moving between states does not introduce a separate Australian resident salary tax bracket, but changing the salary or household circumstances can change the result.
Finally, use your own budget for housing, travel, care costs and savings. These earnings tables do not contain a cost-of-living dataset or say which state is cheapest. A higher salary can also come with longer hours, more travel or less flexibility. Compare that full arrangement before using the ranking to choose a move.
Common questions
Which Australian state has the highest average salary?
The ACT leads the May 2026 full-time adult ordinary earnings table, followed by WA. This is a defined earnings mean, not a ranking of every occupation or household income.
Are these average salaries after tax?
No. They are gross earnings before tax. Employer super, overtime and salary sacrifice are excluded from the headline measure. Use the salary calculator for a personal take-home estimate.
Why do some sites show different state salary figures?
They may use a different period, a median, total earnings including overtime, cash earnings including salary sacrifice, or personal income rather than employee earnings. Check those definitions before comparing the numbers.
Sources you can check
Sources checked for this page on 2 October 2026. Statistics keep their own measurement dates.