What is a criminologist salary in Australia? A guide to pay and comparisons

What is a criminologist salary?

When you search for a criminologist salary in Australia, you won’t find a neat official figure. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Jobs and Skills Australia group criminologists under the catch-all category Other Social Professionals (ANZSCO 272499). That group includes anthropologists, geographers, linguists, political scientists, and transport analysts. The most recent data from Jobs and Skills Australia shows that median weekly earnings for this group are not available – the ABS suppresses the figure because the sample size is too small to be reliable. So if you’re reading a job ad for a criminologist, you need to know how to compare offers without a single benchmark.

Using the Salary Index to compare offers

The Salary Index is a tool that turns any annual gross salary into a number relative to the national line. The national line (index 100) is $108,352 per year, based on the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 ($2,083.70 per week). If a job ad offers $85,000, that’s an index of 78.4 – well below the average full-time worker. An offer of $120,000 gives an index of 110.8, above the line. This comparison is useful because criminologist salaries vary widely by employer and location.

Where criminologists work

According to the same Jobs and Skills Australia profile, Other Social Professionals are most commonly employed in:

• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
• Education and Training
• Public Administration and Safety

These industries have different pay profiles. The industries page shows that Professional, Scientific and Technical Services has an index of 114.7, while Education and Training is 105.5. Public Administration and Safety isn’t listed separately, but state government roles often align with the state indices. For example, a criminologist working for the ACT government might expect pay closer to the ACT index of 109.9, while one in Tasmania would be nearer 88.6 states.

Awards and minimum pay

Criminologists are not automatically covered by a single modern award. If you work in a health setting – for instance, as a criminologist in a forensic mental health unit – you might fall under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes pay guides for that award, with minimum rates that increase from 1 July each year. From 1 July 2026, award rates rose by 4.75%. The entry-level classification for a health professional might be around $25.74 per hour, which annualises to roughly $50,000 for a full-time worker. That’s an index of about 46 – well below the national line, but entry-level roles are not meant to be career benchmarks.

Many criminologists in universities are covered by the Educational Services (Post-Secondary Education) Award or a university enterprise agreement. Those in private consulting are often under the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Award, or they negotiate individual contracts. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay guides list minimum rates, but actual pay for experienced criminologists is usually higher.

Reading a job ad: what to look for

When you see a job ad for a criminologist, the advertised salary might be expressed as a range, a package (including super), or a base rate. Here’s how to decode it:

• Base salary is the cash component before tax and super. Super guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2026, so a $90,000 base plus super gives a total package of $100,800.
• Total package includes super. To compare with the Salary Index, use the base salary (or estimate it by dividing the package by 1.12).
• Hourly rate for casual roles includes a 25% loading. The national minimum wage casual rate is $33.05/hr.

Let’s say a job ad offers $95,000 base plus super. That’s an index of 87.7. If the role is in Sydney (NSW index 101.2), that’s below the state average. If it’s in Perth (WA index 106.9), it’s even further behind. But if the role is in Hobart (TAS index 88.6), $95,000 is actually above the state line. The how the index works page explains how to adjust for location.

Experience and qualifications matter

The Jobs and Skills Australia profile notes that the median age for Other Social Professionals is 40, and 62% are women. Full-time workers average 41 hours per week. This suggests that many criminologists are mid-career professionals. A criminologist with a master’s degree and five years’ experience might expect an index of 100 or more, while a new graduate might start around 75–85.

A note on tax and take-home pay

If you’re comparing offers, remember that the Salary Index uses gross pay. Your take-home pay depends on tax and the Medicare levy (2%). For 2026–27, resident tax rates are: nil up to $18,200, 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, and 45% above. A gross salary of $100,000 (index 92.3) would give a take-home of about $76,000 after tax and Medicare, assuming no other deductions. That’s roughly $1,462 per week.

Where to find more information

• Salary Index – compare any salary to the national line.
• states – see how your state compares.
• industries – check industry benchmarks.

The What Jobs Pay and Job Markets Australia series provides historical earnings by occupation, but it doesn’t have a specific criminologist figure. For award rates, always check the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay guides.

The bottom line

There is no single criminologist salary in Australia. Use the Salary Index to put any offer in context. Look at the industry, location, and your experience level. A job ad offering $85,000 might be fair in Tasmania but low in the ACT. And remember that the national line of $108,352 is just a benchmark – your value depends on your skills and the employer’s budget.