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Why the median can feel closer to everyday pay
Imagine five illustrative annual salaries: $40,000, $60,000, $70,000, $80,000 and $250,000. Their average is $100,000, but the middle salary is $70,000. The highest salary lifts the average without changing the middle of the list.
That example explains why two reasonable salary articles can show different headline amounts. One may be reporting average rather than median pay. Before deciding whether your pay is above or below the usual level, check which question the figure answers.
| Employee group | Median per week | 52-week equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| All employees | $1,425 | $74,100 |
| Full-time employees | $1,741 | $90,532 |
ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025. The all-employee group includes people working part-time. Annual amounts are conversions of weekly earnings.
Match your hours before judging the result
A person working three days a week can have a strong hourly rate and an annual salary below the all-employee median. Another person can earn above the median because they work long weeks. A weekly or yearly figure alone does not separate the pay rate from the amount of work.
For a fair comparison, take the guaranteed pay and divide it by your normal paid hours. Keep overtime, on-call payments and casual loading visible. If your aim is to compare full-time offers, use the full-time group and check whether both employers include super in the advertised amount.
Keep salary, personal income and household income separate
An employee earnings figure describes pay from work. A personal-income figure can also reflect other sources of income. A household figure combines the people in a household. Each can be useful, but switching between them changes the comparison.
Start with the decision you are making. For a job offer, compare the role and hours. For your budget, calculate take-home pay and your actual expenses. For a household plan, add the relevant incomes and costs together. Being above a national median does not tell you how much a particular rent, mortgage or childcare bill will leave you.
Common questions
What does median mean?
Put earnings in order from lowest to highest. The median is the middle point, with half the group below it and half above it.
Should I use the all-employee or full-time figure?
Use the group that matches the question. The full-time figure is usually the better starting point for a full-time job offer.
Why do other median salary articles show a different amount?
They may use a different year, survey, population or income measure. Those labels matter as much as the headline number.
Sources you can check
Sources checked for this page on 2 October 2026. Statistics keep their own measurement dates.