Average bbl salary in Australia: where it sits on the salary index

What is an average bbl salary?

'bbl' is the international symbol for a barrel of oil. In Australia, the term 'average bbl salary' is shorthand for the typical pay of workers in the oil and gas extraction sector. This sector sits inside the Mining industry, which the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) tracks in its Average Weekly Earnings survey. Because the ABS does not publish a separate category for oil and gas alone, the Mining industry figure is the best available proxy.

Where the average bbl salary sits on the salary index

The Salary Index compares any yearly gross pay to the national line of 100. That line is set at full-time adult ordinary time earnings: $2,083.70 per week, or $108,352 per year, from the ABS May 2026 release. An index of 100 means you earn exactly the national average for full-time adults. An index above 100 means you earn more; below 100 means less.

For the Mining industry, the ABS reports average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults at $3,224.20. Annualised, that is $167,658.40. Divide that by the national line ($108,352) and multiply by 100, and you get an index of 154.7. That is the highest of any industry in Australia. The next closest is Information media and telecommunications at 130.2, and Professional, scientific and technical services at 114.7.

How the bbl salary breaks down by gender and state

The ABS data shows that within Mining, men earn an average of $3,321.40 per week and women earn $2,848.90. That gap partly reflects different roles and hours, but it is narrower than in many other industries. For all industries nationally, men average $2,181 per week and women $1,934.50.

State by state, the Mining industry is concentrated in Western Australia and Queensland. Western Australia has the highest state index overall at 106.9, driven by its resource sector. The ACT is higher at 109.9, but that is due to public sector and professional services, not mining. Queensland's index is 97.9, slightly below the national line, but its mining regions pay well above the state average.

How the bbl salary compares to other industries and the minimum wage

The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, annualised $52,255, index 48.2. A full-time worker on the minimum earns less than half the national average. In contrast, a typical oil and gas worker earns more than three times that. Even the entry-level award floor (the lowest rate in modern awards) is $25.74 per hour, index 46.9.

For perspective, the Retail trade industry index is 75.9, and Accommodation and food services is 72.5. Both are well below the national line. The Health care and social assistance industry is close to the line at 97.8. So the bbl salary sits in a league of its own.

What affects the bbl salary in practice

Not every job in oil and gas pays the industry average. The figure covers all full-time adults, from entry-level technicians to senior engineers and managers. The Jobs and Skills Australia profiles show that Construction Managers (common in resource projects) have median weekly full-time earnings of $3,751, even higher than the Mining average. On the other hand, labourers and trades assistants earn less.

Location also matters. A rig worker in the Bass Strait may earn differently from one in the Browse Basin. Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) arrangements often include allowances that boost take-home pay. The salary index uses ordinary time earnings, which exclude overtime and most allowances, so actual pay may be higher.

Tax and super on a bbl salary

If you earn the Mining average of $167,658 per year, your 2026–27 tax (resident, with tax-free threshold, excluding Medicare) would be roughly:

• $0 on the first $18,200
• 15% on the next $26,800 ($4,020)
• 30% on the next $90,000 ($27,000)
• 37% on the remaining $32,658 ($12,083)

Total tax about $43,103, plus Medicare levy of 2% ($3,353). That leaves a take-home of about $121,202 per year, or $2,331 per week. That is still well above the national average.

Super guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2026, on earnings up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830. So an employer would contribute about $20,119 per year in super on top of the salary.

How to use the salary index for your own pay

The Salary Index lets you compare any pay figure to the national line. To find your index, take your yearly gross salary (including super if you like, but the index is based on gross earnings), divide by $108,352, and multiply by 100. If you earn $80,000, your index is 73.8. If you earn $150,000, it is 138.5. The index works for any industry, state, or occupation.

For more detail on how pay varies by state, see the states page. For industry comparisons, see industries. And for the latest award rates and pay guides, check the pay guides section.