What a Salary Survey Reveals About State and Industry Pay Differences in Australia
A salary survey from the ABS shows how average earnings vary by state and industry. Use the Salary Index to compare any pay figure against the national line of $108,352.
The national line (index 100) is $108,352 a year; state indexes range from 88.6 in Tasmania to 109.9 in the ACT, while industry indexes span from 72.5 in accommodation and food services to 154.7 in mining.
What a Salary Survey Tells You About State and Industry Pay
A salary survey is a tool that collects and publishes pay data from a sample of employers or employees. In Australia, the most trusted salary survey is the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) release. It gives a snapshot of what full-time adults earn on average, broken down by state, industry, sector, and sex. If you want to know whether a pay offer is fair, or how your salary stacks up against others in your field, a salary survey is the place to start.
The National Line: Index 100
The ABS survey for May 2026 reports that full-time adult ordinary-time earnings (the measure used for the Salary Index) are $2,083.70 per week. Annualised, that’s $108,352. We call this index 100. Any gross yearly salary divided by $108,352 and multiplied by 100 gives you a Salary Index number. For example, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week, annualised to $52,255. That’s an index of 48.2 — less than half the national line.
State Differences: Where You Live Matters
The salary survey shows clear state-by-state variation. The ACT leads at $2,290.20 per week (index 109.9), followed by Western Australia at $2,227.40 (106.9). New South Wales is close to the national average at $2,108.80 (101.2). Victoria ($2,041.10, index 98.0) and Queensland ($2,039.70, 97.9) sit just below. South Australia ($1,970.20, 94.6), the Northern Territory ($1,984.10, 95.2), and Tasmania ($1,846.30, 88.6) are lower. These differences reflect each state’s industry mix — WA and the ACT have large mining and public sector workforces, which pay above average. Tasmania’s economy relies more on lower-paying industries like hospitality and retail.
If you’re comparing a job offer in one state to another, the Salary Index helps you adjust for location. For instance, a salary of $100,000 in Tasmania (index 92.3) is closer to the state average than the same salary in the ACT (index 84.0), because the ACT average is higher. Check our states page for more detail.
Industry Differences: Mining vs Hospitality
The salary survey also breaks earnings down by industry. Mining is the highest-paying industry at $3,224.20 per week (index 154.7). Professional, scientific and technical services come next at $2,389.60 (114.7), followed by education and training at $2,197.90 (105.5). Health care and social assistance is slightly below the national line at $2,037.20 (97.8). At the lower end, retail trade averages $1,581.60 (index 75.9) and accommodation and food services averages $1,509.90 (72.5). These industry indexes are benchmarks for full-time adult ordinary-time earnings. Actual pay for a specific role may be higher or lower depending on the award classification, enterprise agreement, or individual contract.
For example, a chef in a fine-dining restaurant might earn above the accommodation and food services average, while a retail assistant in a large chain might earn close to the retail trade average. The Salary Index lets you see where any figure sits relative to the national line. Visit our industries page for a full list.
How to Use a Salary Survey
When you read a salary survey, remember that it reports averages, not medians. Averages can be pulled up by a small number of very high earners, especially in industries like mining or finance. The ABS survey also separates ordinary-time earnings (excluding overtime) from total earnings. For the Salary Index, we use ordinary-time earnings because they reflect base pay.
To use the index: take any annual gross salary, divide by $108,352, and multiply by 100. If you earn $80,000 a year, your index is 73.8. If you earn $130,000, it’s 120.0. This makes it easy to compare across states and industries without getting lost in dollar amounts.
Gender Pay Gap in the Survey
The salary survey also highlights the gender pay gap. Nationally, full-time adult men earn $2,181.00 per week (index 104.7) while women earn $1,934.50 (92.9). That’s a difference of about $246.50 per week, or 11.3% less for women. The gap varies by industry and state. For example, in health care and social assistance, men earn $2,474.10 (index 118.8) while women earn $1,875.50 (90.0) — a wider gap than the national average. Understanding these patterns can help when negotiating pay or advocating for equal remuneration.
Awards, Super, and Tax
A salary survey reports gross earnings before tax and super. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% on top of your salary, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830. Modern award minimum wages rose by 4.75% from the same date. The national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, but many awards pay more. For example, the entry-level award floor is $25.74 per hour. Casual employees get a loading — typically 25%, making the casual minimum $33.05 per hour.
Take-home pay depends on your tax bracket. For 2026–27, resident tax rates (excluding Medicare) are: nil up to $18,200; 15% from $18,201 to $45,000; 30% from $45,001 to $135,000; 37% from $135,001 to $190,000; and 45% above $190,000. Add the Medicare levy of 2%. These figures ignore HELP repayments, salary sacrifice, and the Medicare levy surcharge.
Why the Salary Index Matters
The Salary Index turns a salary survey into a simple number. Instead of remembering dollar figures for every state and industry, you can compare indexes. A job in mining has an index of 154.7 — 54.7% above the national line. A job in retail has an index of 75.9 — 24.1% below. This is useful for career planning, relocation decisions, or setting pay scales. Learn more about how the index works.
Limitations of Salary Surveys
No salary survey is perfect. The ABS survey excludes agriculture, forestry, and fishing, and it doesn’t cover very small businesses or the informal economy. It also doesn’t show the full range of pay within an industry — a senior surgeon in health care earns far more than a personal care assistant, but both are averaged together. For individual job roles, you need more specific data, such as pay guides from Fair Work Ombudsman or industry-specific surveys.
Despite these caveats, the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey remains the most reliable national salary survey. Combined with the Salary Index, it gives you a clear, comparable picture of where your pay sits against the Australian average.
Putting It All Together
Next time you see a salary figure, ask: what’s its index? A salary of $90,000 gives an index of 83.1 — below the national line. In Tasmania, that’s close to the state average (index 88.6), but in the ACT it’s well below (109.9). In accommodation and food services, $90,000 is above the industry average (72.5), but in mining it’s far below (154.7). The salary survey gives you the context; the index gives you the comparison.
For more on how pay varies across Australia, explore our topics page.
Questions people ask
What is a salary survey and how is it used in Australia?
A salary survey is a systematic collection of pay data from employers or employees, often published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) or industry bodies. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey is the most authoritative national salary survey, providing average weekly ordinary-time earnings by state, industry, sector, and sex. Employers and employees use it to benchmark pay, negotiate salaries, or set enterprise agreements. The Salary Index converts these averages into an easy-to-compare number where 100 equals the national full-time adult ordinary-time earnings ($108,352 per year).
Which Australian state has the highest average earnings according to the latest salary survey?
According to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has the highest full-time adult ordinary-time earnings at $2,290.20 per week, giving a Salary Index of 109.9. Western Australia is next at $2,227.40 (index 106.9), followed by New South Wales at $2,108.80 (101.2). Tasmania has the lowest at $1,846.30 (88.6). These differences reflect industry mix, cost of living, and labour demand.
How do industry salary surveys help compare pay across sectors?
Industry salary surveys, such as the ABS breakdown by ANZSIC division, show average earnings for full-time adults in each sector. For example, mining averages $3,224.20 per week (index 154.7), while accommodation and food services averages $1,509.90 (index 72.5). This helps job seekers and employers understand relative pay levels. However, individual roles within an industry can vary widely; a salary survey gives a broad benchmark, not a precise job offer. The Salary Index lets you compare any industry figure to the national line.