They say money can’t buy happiness, but dare you to feel sad if you were the owner of a slick Lamborghini, a huge family home and enough disposable income to jet off around the world for your annual holiday.
Put simply, money really does make the world go round, and there’s a good chance you’ve wondered how to earn more money and how your salary compares to the average Australian salary.
Fortunately, the Australian Bureau of Statistics can answer that second question, as it released data in November 2021 that says you need to be earning $1748.40 a week to be considered ‘average’. This would mean if your annual salary is $91,000 or above, you would be classed as an above-average earner. Of course, this is an umbrella figure of sorts, and (unfortunately) depending on your gender, age, where you live and which sector you work in, this figure will change.
In fact, the ABS does indeed break down the average weekly earning figures by gender, and the disheartening news is that, on average, women can expect to earn around $200 less a week than men.
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Here are some of the key takeaway statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in relation to the average Australian salary, as of November 2021.
Average Australian Salary By Gender
Males:
Average Weekly Earnings: $2,025.20 (public), $1,812.30 (private)
Average Salary: $105,310 (public), $94,239 (public)
Females:
Average Weekly Earnings: $1,799.30 (public), $1,504.80 (private)
Average Salary: $93,564 (public), $78,249 (private)
Average Australian Salary by State & Territory
As mentioned earlier, depending on where you work in Australia can have an effect on the average Australian salary. With it being the capital of Australia and where the Australian government is based, it may not come as a surprise to learn that the average Australian salary is the highest in the ACT.
Western Australia is also a good place to work, especially if you’re male, with the second-highest average weekly earnings for males in the country.
ACT
Average Weekly Earnings: $2,055.10 (males), $1,893.60 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $106,965.20 (males), $98,467.20 (females)
New South Wales
Average Weekly Earnings: $1,848.10 (males), $1,627.20 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $96,101.20 (males), $84,614.40 (females)
Victoria
Average Weekly Earnings: $1,862.40 (males), $1,596.60 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $96,844.80 (males), $83,023.20 (females)
Queensland
Average Weekly Earnings: $1,780.20 (males), $1,498.50 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $92,570.40 (males), $77,922 (females)
South Australia
Average Weekly Earnings: $1,633.40 (males), $1,511.40 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $84,936.80 (males), $78,592.80 (females)
Western Australia
Average Weekly Earnings: $2,045.90 (males), $1,611.60 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $106,386.80 (males), $83,803.20 (females)
Tasmania
Average Weekly Earnings: $1,596.30 (males), $1,450.60 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $83,007.60 (males), $75,431.20 (females)
Northern Territory
Average Weekly Earnings: $1,795 (males), $1,579.40 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $93,340 (males), $82,128.80 (females)
Average Australian Salary by Industry
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has also broken down the average weekly earnings Australians can expect depending on which industry they work in. The mining industry is the clear winner here (and which could explain why WA is second on the average weekly earnings list), closely followed by both the I.T and financial industries.
Here are the top 5 highest-earning industries on average in Australia.
Mining
Average Weekly Earnings: $2,724.90 (males), $2,306.30 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $141,694.80 (males), $119,927.60
Financial & Insurance Services
Average Weekly Earnings: $2,333.30 (males), $1,852.80 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $121,331.60 (males), $96,345.60 (females)
Information Media & Telecommunications
Average Weekly Earnings: $2,310.20 (males), $1,941 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $120,130.40 (males), $100,932 (females)
Profssional, Scientific & Technical Services
Average Weekly Earnings: $2,266.90 (males), $1,713.50 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $117,878.80 (males), $89,102 (females)
Education & Training
Average Weekly Earnings: $2,016.80 (males), $1,797.20 (females)
Average Annual Salary: $104,873.60 (males), $93,454.40 (females)
You can view the Australian Bureau of Statistic’s complete set of data, including finding out how the data was collected, at abs.gov.au.
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