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The published top 5% taxable-income comparison
The ATO arranges 13,239,911 taxable individuals into 100 income groups. The highest five groups, numbered 96 to 100, contain 661,984 people. The entry amount is $208,281 in taxable income for the year ending 30 June 2024.
These figures cover tax returns processed by 31 October 2025. They exclude people who did not lodge a return and return lodgers without net tax payable. They are not a list of everyone in Australia, and the income year remains 2023-24 even though we checked the workbook in October 2026.
| Comparison | Taxable income at group entry | People in these groups |
|---|---|---|
| Highest 10 groups | $162,972 | 1,323,987 |
| Highest 5 groups | $208,281 | 661,984 |
| Highest group | $429,531 | 132,399 |
Why taxable income is different from salary
Taxable income can include income from more than one job, a business, rent, investments and taxable capital gains, after relevant deductions. A $210,000 advertised salary does not automatically mean $210,000 of taxable income. Employer super is another separate amount.
For a fictional example, $200,000 of salary plus $30,000 of other assessable income, less $10,000 of eligible deductions, gives $220,000 of taxable income. That amount sits above the dated $208,281 tax-data entry point. It does not make the $200,000 salary itself a verified top 5% employee salary.
How we read the boundary
We check the lowest income in the relevant group against the ATO’s second published table. The 95th group spans $194,637 to $208,280. Starting there would include six groups, rather than the highest five. The downloadable file keeps the exact source locations so you can repeat the check.
We do not increase an old figure by average salary growth or estimate the missing employee salary boundary from a median. An income share is different again: it tells you how much of the total a group received, rather than the income at its entry point.
Paycalcmate’s contribution is the grouping, cross-check and explanation. The underlying tax records and published bands belong to the ATO; these are not findings from a Paycalcmate survey.
Choose the comparison that matches the question
For pay from a job, use the published employee earnings figures and match the hours and pay components. The employee percentile calculator shows only the ranges supported by its separate ABS survey. It does not use this tax-return distribution.
For a job decision, compare guaranteed cash salary, super and variable payments separately, then calculate the after-tax change. For a household budget, combine the actual incomes and costs. An individual tax-data ranking cannot establish household affordability or wealth.
Data and citation
Download the three grouped comparisons, the ATO source locations, population and dates. The file records how the published tax-data bands were selected; it does not supply a current salary cutoff.
Keep the source dates and method with any figures you reuse.
Reuse terms: Paycalcmate data reuse licence, version 1.0. Official source material keeps its own terms. Source licences and attribution.
Paycalcmate, Australian taxable-income group comparisons, ATO 2023-24 data, checked 3 October 2026. https://paycalcmate.au/top-5-percent-salary/
Common questions
What income puts you in the top 5% in Australia?
In this ATO 2023-24 taxable-individual comparison, the relevant published group entry is $208,281 in taxable income. It is not a current employee-salary threshold or a comparison with every Australian.
Is $208,281 a top 5% salary?
The source measures taxable income from tax returns. Salary can be only one part of that income, and deductions can reduce it. Keep the measure, tax year and population with the amount.
Can I use my salary package including super?
First separate cash salary from employer super. Taxable income may then differ from cash salary because of deductions and other income. A total package is not the amount this ATO table ranks.
Sources you can check
Sources checked for this page on 3 October 2026. Statistics keep their own measurement dates.