What is the median salary in Australia? A guide to your take-home pay

What is the median salary in Australia?

When you ask what is the median salary in Australia, you are looking for the middle point of all employee earnings. The Australian Bureau of Statistics does not publish a median figure for all employees. Instead, it reports average weekly earnings. The most recent average for full-time adult ordinary time earnings is $2,083.70 per week, or $108,352 a year before tax. That figure excludes overtime and employer super contributions.

For part-time and casual workers, the all-employees average is $1,579.20 per week, or $82,118 a year. But these are averages, not medians. The median is likely lower because high earners pull the average up. Without an official median, you can use the national minimum wage as a floor: $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week, set by Fair Work from 1 July 2026.

How to work out your take-home pay

Your take-home pay is what lands in your bank account after tax and the Medicare levy. Here is the step-by-step method for a resident employee in 2026–27.

Step 1: Know your gross salary

If your job ad says "$80,000 plus super", your gross salary is $80,000. Super is not deducted from your pay; it is paid on top by your employer. If the ad says "$80,000 including super", your gross salary before tax is about $71,428 (because super is 12% of that). Always clarify which wording applies.

Step 2: Apply the tax brackets

The Australian Taxation Office uses these rates for residents:

• $0 – $18,200: no tax
• $18,201 – $45,000: 15c for each dollar over $18,200
• $45,001 – $135,000: $4,020 plus 30c for each dollar over $45,000
• $135,001 – $190,000: $31,020 plus 37c for each dollar over $135,000
• Over $190,000: $51,370 plus 45c for each dollar over $190,000

For example, on a gross salary of $80,000:

• Tax on first $18,200: $0
• Tax on $18,201 to $45,000: ($45,000 – $18,200) × 0.15 = $4,020
• Tax on $45,001 to $80,000: ($80,000 – $45,000) × 0.30 = $10,500
• Total tax before offsets: $4,020 + $10,500 = $14,520

Step 3: Subtract the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO)

LITO reduces your tax. For 2026–27, the maximum is $700 at taxable income up to $37,500. It phases out by 5c per $1 until $45,000, then by 1.5c per $1 until $66,667. At $80,000, you are above the phase-out range, so you get no LITO. If your income is lower, the offset can reduce your tax to zero but not create a refund.

Step 4: Add the Medicare levy

The Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income. For a single person, if you earn below $28,011, you pay nothing. Between $28,011 and $35,013, you pay 10c per $1 over the lower threshold. Above $35,013, you pay the full 2%. At $80,000, the levy is $1,600.

Step 5: Calculate your take-home

Take-home = gross salary – tax (after LITO) – Medicare levy. For $80,000: $80,000 – $14,520 – $1,600 = $63,880 a year. That is about $2,456 per fortnight. Remember, this excludes HELP/HECS repayments, the Medicare levy surcharge, salary sacrifice, and payroll rounding.

Using our tools

You can use the Take-home pay guide to estimate your own numbers. The Tax and Medicare page explains the thresholds in more detail. For salary packaging or super strategies, see Salary packaging and Super.

Important notes

• The figures above are estimates only. They are not a tax assessment.
• The Medicare levy thresholds of $28,011 and $35,013 are the latest published single-person amounts. Full-time salaries above $35,013 pay the full 2%.
• Super is 12% from 1 July 2026, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830.
• If you are paid weekly or fortnightly, your employer withholds tax using PAYG tables, which may round slightly differently.