In 2026, Australia’s workforce is at a pivotal crossroads. The country is one of the most educated and stable job markets in the Asia-Pacific region, and global employers are paying attention to Australian talent more than ever.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics says that average weekly earnings climbed 3.8% from November 2021 to November 2025. Deloitte Access Economics says that this year, most new jobs will be in professional and service roles. If you’re thinking about hiring in Australia, the best place to start is by asking how much talent actually costs there.
What is the average salary in Australia?
The short answer is that full-time workers in Australia make an average of AUD $107,000 a year (about US$75,000) or about AUD $8,900 a month (about US$6,250). The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Average Weekly Earnings report for November 2025 gives these numbers. That is the best way for any employer to set prices for talent in the Australian market.
The median, on the other hand, tells a slightly different story. In August 2025, the ABS said that the median weekly income was AUD $1,425, which comes out to about AUD $74,100 per year. A concentration of high earners in mining and finance raises the national average.
Unemployment stayed at 4.1% in January 2026, with 17,800 new jobs created and many vacant job openings still available. The Reserve Bank of Australia says wages will continue to rise faster than inflation until mid-2027, when real wage growth is expected to resume. This is forward-looking and puts the salary discussion in a bigger picture.
Average salary by job type in Australia (2026)
When seeking talent in Australia, the individual’s profession is just as important as their location. Technical and specialist jobs pay considerably more than the national average. Support and entry-level jobs are much lower on the list.
The two roles at the bottom of the list below show labor markets that are distinctly Australian. Mining engineering is based on one of the world’s largest economies in terms of resources. And aged care is growing rapidly under Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
- Software Engineer / Developer. AUD $110,000 (US$77,100)
- IT Project Manager. AUD $123,000 (US$86,200)
- Data Analyst / Scientist. AUD $122,000 (US$85,500)
- Accountant. AUD $112,000 (US$78,500)
- Customer Service Representative. AUD $59,000 (US$41,400)
- Healthcare Professional (Registered Nurse). AUD $85,000 (US$59,600)
- Sales / Marketing Manager. AUD $135,000 (US$94,600)
- Administrative Assistant. AUD $63,000 (US$44,200)
- Mining Engineer. AUD $120,000 (US$84,100)
- Aged Care / Disability Support Worker. AUD $74,000 (US$51,900)
Average salary in Australia by city or region
A national average only tells part of the story. But the amount of money someone makes in Australia can change by as much as 9% depending on where they work. Robert Half’s 2026 Salary Guide illustrates the difference in pay for professional jobs in each city.
Sydney
Sydney is the highest-paying major city in Australia for professional jobs. Robert Half’s 2026 Salary Guide says salaries here are about 9% higher than the national average, or about AUD $117,000 per year (US$82,000). The increased pay is due to Sydney’s concentration of higher-paying jobs in finance, technology, and legal services.
According to Numbeo’s 2026 index, Sydney has the highest cost of living in Australia and is the 35th most expensive city in the world. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is about AUD $2,750 per month. After paying taxes and rent in Sydney, a worker making the national median in Australia only brings home AUD $33,800 a year—the lowest household margin of any major Australian city.
Melbourne
Robert Half says that Melbourne has 3% more professional jobs than the national average. This means that the average full-time worker in Melbourne makes about AUD $110,000 per year (about US$77,000). It’s Australia’s second-largest job market and a center for consulting, financial services, and the growing technology sector. The cost of living and salary are both lower than in Sydney.
As of 2026, Melbourne is the 79th most expensive city in the world to live in. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is about AUD $2,200 a month. After paying taxes and rent, a worker at the national median keeps about AUD $41,600 a year, much better than in Sydney.
Brisbane
Brisbane has grown quickly, and its population boom has made it one of Australia’s most competitive places for new talent to find work. According to Robert Half, salaries for professional jobs are about 1% higher than the national average, or about AUD $108,000 per year (about US$75,600). As the need for skilled workers grows, the pay gap between Sydney and Melbourne is shrinking.
In 2026, Brisbane was the 122nd most expensive city in the world to live in, including rent. The average rent is around AUD $2,000 per month. After taxes and rent, a worker at the national median makes about AUD $44,000 a year—a good income-to-cost ratio for workers.
Perth
Perth is different from the rest of Australia when it comes to salaries. The city averages AUD $117,000 per year (about US$82,000), which is 9% higher than the national average for professional jobs. The mining and resources sector is the main driver, which significantly raises salaries for engineering, technical, and project management jobs.
Perth is a rare case where the high salaries do not correlate with a high cost of living. In 2026, Perth will be the 103rd most expensive city in the world to live in, with a median rent of about AUD $1,950 per month. For employers outside of the resources sector, Perth is a rare place that offers both high salaries and lower daily living costs than Sydney or Melbourne.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the most affordable of Australia’s five major cities, but the trade-off is compensation. Professional role salaries sit below the national average at approximately AUD $101,000 per year (approximately US$63,600). According to Compare the Market’s 2026 Cost of Living Cities Index, Adelaide’s household income growth has lagged behind the pace of housing cost increases in recent years.
Still, the city ranks 127th globally for cost of living, including rent in 2026. The median rent for a one-bedroom is around AUD $1,650 per month. Workers in Adelaide keep more of their income after housing costs than in any other major Australian city, which makes it an appealing market for employers looking to offer strong real-term purchasing power without the premium salary burden of Sydney or Perth.
Factors that influence salaries in Australia
No two job offers in Australia look exactly the same, even for the same role. A few structural factors affect how much employers pay and how much candidates expect.
- Level of experience and seniority. Entry-level jobs generally pay substantially less than the national average, but senior and managerial positions can pay twice that. Moving up from mid-level to senior in fields like software engineering and data science can mean a pay raise of AUD $30,000 or more per year.
- Industry and demand. Mining, finance, and technology always pay the most in the country. Aged care, retail, and hospitality are examples of sectors that are closer to the minimum wage floor. This is because it is easier to get into these fields, and collective bargaining doesn’t work as well.
- Geographic location. Sydney and Perth have the highest city premiums, while Adelaide has the lowest premiums across the country. Jobs in rural and regional areas often pay less than jobs in capital cities; however, some industries offer remote area allowances to make up the difference.
- Type of employer. Big companies and multinationals usually offer structured pay bands, bonuses, and superannuation contributions that exceed the required 12% minimum. Startups may pay less than the market rate for base salary, but they may make up for it with equity or flexibility.
- Remote vs. in-office flexibility. Since 2020, remote and hybrid work have changed how Australian employers think about pay. Some companies now pay fully remote workers based on where they live, regardless of whether they live outside major cities. This is a cost-saving opportunity and a policy decision that should be made early on.
How salaries in Australia compare globally
Australia’s national average of approximately AUD $107,000 per year (US$75,000) places it firmly among the higher-earning developed economies. The U.S. leads comparable markets at roughly US$80,000 annually, while Canada and the U.K. sit slightly below Australia’s benchmark. For global employers, this positions Australia as a competitive but not prohibitive talent market, especially when weighed against the depth and quality of the available workforce.
For teams operating across the Asia-Pacific, salary is only part of the picture. Australia ranked 19th globally in the 2025 World Talent Rankings, with a highly educated, English-speaking workforce and a timezone that bridges Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and APAC countries. That combination is genuinely hard to find in a single market.
With 55% of Australian firms already operating on hybrid or remote-first models, their workforce is experienced in distributed collaboration. For employers scaling internationally, Australia’s talent pool is built for the way modern global teams actually work.
FAQs
Most employers who come to Australia have questions about its labor market and salary expectations. These are the ones that come up the most.
What is the minimum wage in Australia?
As of July 1, 2025, the Fair Work Ombudsman set the national minimum wage at AUD $24.95 per hour, or AUD $948 per week for a standard 38-hour work week. That number is 3.75% higher than the year before. Certain workers, like apprentices, junior workers, and those who are on supported wage arrangements, can legally be paid less than this floor.
What is the average salary in Sydney?
According to Robert Half’s 2026 Salary Guide, Sydney’s professional salaries are 9% higher than the national average, at about AUD $117,000 per year (about USD $82,000). The higher salary average is because Sydney has more employers in finance, technology, and professional services. The cost of living in the city is the highest among major Australian cities.
What is the average salary in Australia in USD?
At the current exchange rate of about 0.70 AUD/USD, Australia’s national average full-time salary of AUD $107,000 is about USD $75,000. That rate has stayed pretty stable through the beginning of 2026, but currency values do change. Employers who pay employees in more than one currency should either build in a buffer or use a platform that can handle changes in exchange rates in real time.
Is Australia expensive to hire in compared to other countries?
Australia is cheaper to hire in than the U.S., where the average yearly salary is around US$80,000. It’s also comparable to other developed markets, such as Canada. Hiring in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines or Vietnam is much cheaper, but those markets have different kinds of talent. One cost that is unique to Australia is the mandatory superannuation contribution, which is currently 12% of salary and is paid by employers in addition to base pay.
Do salary expectations differ for international remote roles?
Australian professionals who work from home for international companies usually expect to be paid based on the rates in Australia, not the rates in the company’s home market. The cost of living, especially housing, is a big reason for that expectation. A Robert Walters survey from early 2026 found that a significant number of Australian professionals already feel underpaid compared to what others in the same field earn in Australia. This means that salary anchoring to Australian benchmarks is essential for attracting global talent.
Compliantly pay Australian talent with confidence
Understanding salary benchmarks is only half the equation. Paying Australian employees and contractors correctly, on time, and in full compliance with Fair Work obligations, superannuation requirements, and local tax law is where things get complicated fast. As a full-service EOR provider in 185+ countries, Pebl handles everything from employee benefits to global payroll compliance, so you can hire the talent you want in Australia without the administrative weight of building local infrastructure from scratch. Get in touch to learn more.
This information does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or tax advice and is for general informational purposes only. The intent of this document is solely to provide general and preliminary information for private use. Do not rely on it as an alternative to legal, financial, taxation, or accountancy advice from an appropriately qualified professional. The content in this guide is provided “as is,” and no representations are made that the content is error-free.
© 2026 Pebl, LLC. All rights reserved.
Topic:
Country Guides
