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Median weekly employee earnings by age
These are gross main-job earnings for employees in Australia in August 2025. Weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar. The table uses the employee data itself, so retirement income, investment returns and household income do not become salary figures by accident.
| Age | All employees per week | Full-time per week |
|---|---|---|
| 15 to 19 | $300 | $854 |
| 20 to 24 | $950 | $1,200 |
| 25 to 34 | $1,500 | $1,648 |
| 35 to 44 | $1,700 | $1,950 |
| 45 to 54 | $1,750 | $2,000 |
| 55 to 59 | $1,575 | $1,850 |
| 60 to 64 | $1,399 | $1,750 |
| 65 and over | $1,124 | $1,620 |
Source: ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025, Table 2. The 65 and over row covers employees who are working, not all Australians of that age.
Your hours can change the comparison
The difference between the two columns matters. If you work full-time, comparing your weekly pay with a group that includes part-time employees can make the gap look larger than it is. If you work part-time, looking only at a full-time annual salary can make a good hourly rate look low.
Consider an illustrative $90,000 full-time salary for five equal working days. At the same daily rate, four days would give $72,000. That drop is a change in working time. It does not mean the employer has cut the rate paid for the work. An after-tax comparison adds another useful layer because take-home pay will not usually fall by the same percentage.
Build a pay discussion around your role
Use the age row as background, then gather a closer comparison. Match the occupation, responsibility, location and usual hours. Keep guaranteed salary apart from possible bonuses. If you have moved into management, changed industries or taken a career break, explain that context before drawing a conclusion from an age group.
A practical pay discussion also needs evidence from your own work. Write down the responsibilities you now hold, the problems you have solved and what has changed since your last review. A national table can help open the conversation, but it cannot price those individual differences.
Read the date alongside the dollar amount
These figures describe August 2025, even though this guide was checked in October 2026. We keep that date visible instead of increasing every row by an assumed growth rate. The table is a published snapshot, not a forecast of what each age group earns today.
To convert a weekly figure to an annual equivalent, multiply it by 52. Label the result as a conversion. It does not account for gaps between jobs, variable hours or a bonus paid at another time of year.
Common questions
Which age group has the highest full-time median in this table?
The 45 to 54 group has the highest full-time median weekly earnings in this August 2025 comparison.
Is age a reliable way to value a job offer?
It provides context. A role with similar duties, hours and experience is a closer comparison for an individual offer.
Does the oldest age group show retirement income?
No. This is an employee table. It covers people aged 65 and over who are working as employees.
Sources you can check
Sources checked for this page on 2 October 2026. Statistics keep their own measurement dates.