Australian salaries 2026 — what the 805 entries actually say.
Dataset median $90,000. Mining has the highest industry median at $135k. Sydney entries sit 28–57% above other cities in Tech, Finance and Telecommunications. The Senior median is 164% above the Junior median.
Dataset compiled mostly from Hays, Robert Walters, Robert Half and APS Pay Scales figures, plus anonymous reader entries as they arrive. Every figure below is computed from the public dataset at /data.js, so it describes these 805 entries — not a survey of Australian workers. Use freely with attribution.
- 805 salary entries spanning 425 distinct job titles, 25 industries and 22 Australian cities. Entry cohorts: 722 entries added in 2026, 83 added in 2025.
- Dataset median base salary: $90,000. Dataset mean: $107,861 (pulled higher by senior + specialist roles). Median total compensation including bonus: $95,000.
- Highest industry median: Mining at $135,000 median across 30 entries. Lowest: Retail at $60,000 across 21 entries — a $75,000 gap.
- Sydney entries sit higher than other-city entries by +57.1% in Telecommunications, +28.3% in Technology, +28.2% in Finance, +26.6% in Insurance, +23.3% in Marketing. Property, Healthcare and Energy show much smaller gaps. Samples are small, so these are indicative.
- The Senior → Junior gap is 164% ($145,000 median vs $55,000). Mid-level sits at $85,000 — close to the dataset median.
- Work arrangement tags: 4.1% of entries fully remote, 28.9% hybrid, 67.0% office. These describe how the source roles were tagged, not how Australians work.
By industry
Median base salary by industry, sorted high to low. Coverage varies — Healthcare and Technology are best-represented, several niche industries sit at 20-30 entries.
| Rank | Industry | Median | Entries | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mining | $135,000 | 30 | $90k–$220k |
| 2 | Technology | $130,000 | 91 | $52k–$320k |
| 3 | Consulting | $120,000 | 19 | $52k–$350k |
| 4 | Legal | $110,000 | 23 | $58k–$450k |
| 5 | HR | $105,000 | 25 | $52k–$250k |
| 6 | Engineering | $100,000 | 23 | $65k–$200k |
| 7 | Finance | $95,000 | 52 | $54k–$380k |
| 7 | Energy | $95,000 | 21 | $52k–$180k |
| 9 | Government | $92,000 | 27 | $65k–$230k |
| 10 | Transport | $90,000 | 20 | $52k–$220k |
| 10 | Science | $90,000 | 25 | $55k–$148k |
| 10 | Creative | $90,000 | 23 | $48k–$135k |
| 13 | Insurance | $89,000 | 20 | $52k–$175k |
| 14 | Healthcare | $88,000 | 107 | $48k–$420k |
| 15 | Construction | $85,000 | 47 | $34k–$170k |
| 15 | Education | $85,000 | 36 | $45k–$180k |
| 15 | Marketing | $85,000 | 29 | $55k–$250k |
| 15 | Property | $85,000 | 27 | $50k–$200k |
| 19 | Telecommunications | $84,000 | 18 | $50k–$180k |
| 20 | Agriculture | $82,000 | 25 | $42k–$125k |
| 21 | Automotive | $75,000 | 23 | $52k–$125k |
| 22 | Manufacturing | $72,000 | 20 | $48k–$150k |
| 23 | Community Services | $70,000 | 21 | $48k–$110k |
| 24 | Hospitality | $65,000 | 32 | $38k–$140k |
| 25 | Retail | $60,000 | 21 | $42k–$95k |
By city
Median base salary by city. Capital cities and major regional centres covered. Small-sample cities (≤6 entries) are shown but should be read as indicative, not authoritative.
| City | Median | Entries | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional WA | $155,000 | 6 | Mining/FIFO concentration — small sample |
| Canberra | $115,000 | 17 | APS + senior public service |
| Alice Springs | $115,000 | 6 | Remote allowances drive median up |
| Perth | $112,500 | 52 | Mining + energy + finance hub |
| Wollongong | $102,500 | 6 | Steel + uni |
| Townsville | $96,500 | 6 | Regional centre + defence |
| Sydney | $95,000 | 315 | Largest sample; sector mix moderates median |
| Regional VIC | $95,000 | 8 | |
| Darwin | $95,000 | 22 | Remote-allowance loaded |
| Geelong | $93,500 | 6 | |
| Sunshine Coast | $91,500 | 6 | |
| Cairns | $90,500 | 6 | |
| Melbourne | $88,000 | 187 | Second-largest sample |
| Newcastle | $88,000 | 7 | |
| Regional NSW | $85,000 | 13 | |
| Regional TAS | $85,000 | 6 | |
| Regional QLD | $82,500 | 10 | |
| Brisbane | $82,000 | 65 | |
| Adelaide | $78,000 | 28 | |
| Gold Coast | $78,000 | 9 | |
| Hobart | $78,000 | 18 | |
| Regional SA | $78,000 | 6 | Smallest sample at the floor |
Sydney entries sit higher — but only in some industries
The headline city medians above mix sectors and obscure where the Sydney gap sits. Comparing same-industry medians for Sydney entries against all other cities, the gap in this dataset is largest in white-collar and professional services; Property, Healthcare and Energy show much smaller gaps. The samples are small, so read these as indicative of the compiled figures, not as a measured Sydney wage premium.
Method: for each industry with at least 3 Sydney entries and 3 other-city entries, we compute the median for each set, then express the Sydney gap as a percentage. The Telecommunications +57.1% number reflects 7 Sydney entries at $110k median vs 11 other-city entries at $70k median — the largest gap in the dataset, from small samples on both sides.
By career level
The gap between Senior and Junior level medians is wide. Mid-level entries sit close to the dataset median.
| Level | Median | Mean | Entries | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior (0–2 yrs) | $55,000 | $56,860 | 100 | $34k–$98k |
| Mid (3–7 yrs) | $85,000 | $89,070 | 466 | $50k–$160k |
| Senior (8+ yrs) | $145,000 | $159,920 | 239 | $70k–$450k |
Highest-paid roles in the dataset
Roles with at least 3 entries, ranked by median. Single-observation roles excluded to keep the table robust.
| Role | Median | Entries | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner (Legal) | $380,000 | 3 | $350k–$450k |
| General Practitioner | $220,000 | 13 | $190k–$300k |
| Cloud Architect | $185,000 | 3 | $155k–$200k |
| Product Manager | $170,000 | 3 | $145k–$175k |
| Geologist | $170,000 | 3 | $130k–$175k |
| AI Engineer | $155,000 | 5 | $140k–$200k |
| Forensic Accountant | $155,000 | 3 | $115k–$158k |
| DevOps Engineer | $152,500 | 4 | $135k–$170k |
| Dentist | $150,000 | 5 | $140k–$180k |
| University Lecturer | $148,000 | 3 | $130k–$155k |
| ER/IR Manager | $145,000 | 3 | $140k–$155k |
| Mining Engineer | $140,000 | 5 | $130k–$200k |
Lowest-paid roles in the dataset
Same min-3-entries filter. Several of these are entry-level or front-line service roles where formal salary is supplemented by commission, tips or piece-rates (not captured here).
| Role | Median | Entries | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanic | $70,000 | 5 | $52k–$75k |
| Service Advisor | $68,500 | 4 | $58k–$88k |
| Graduate Engineer | $68,000 | 3 | $65k–$72k |
| Claims Assessor | $67,500 | 4 | $58k–$72k |
| Retail Manager | $62,000 | 5 | $58k–$65k |
| Chef | $61,000 | 8 | $58k–$80k |
| Lab Technician | $58,000 | 3 | $55k–$62k |
| Real Estate Agent (base) | $57,500 | 6 | $50k–$90k |
| Disability Support Worker | $54,000 | 4 | $52k–$58k |
| Retail Assistant | $45,000 | 3 | $45k–$46k |
Work arrangement tags in the dataset
How the 805 entries are tagged by work arrangement. Most entries are compiled from published salary guides rather than reported by individual workers, so this shows how the source roles were tagged; it is not a measure of how Australians work.
Two-thirds of entries are tagged fully on-site and 1 in 25 fully remote. For how Australians actually work, use ABS working-arrangements data.
Methodology and sources
Every figure on this page is computed from /data.js, the live public dataset. The dataset blends two input streams:
- Anonymous reader submissions (a small share of entries) via /submit/. Submitters provide title, industry, city, state, level, years of experience, base, bonus, super contribution, and work arrangement. No identifying information is collected. Submissions are voluntary and unverified — see methodology for the limits this places on the data.
- Published salary guides — the source of almost all entries. Sources used in the May 2026 expansion: Hays Salary Guide FY25/26, Robert Walters Salary Survey 2026, Robert Half 2026 Salary Guide, APS Pay Scales (March 2026), and Seek role-salary pages.
Sub-3-entry roles are excluded from the role tables to avoid noise; small-sample cities (≤6 entries) are shown but flagged as indicative. Sydney gap calculations require at least 3 entries in each of "Sydney" and "other cities" for an industry to be included.
What this data does not measure
- Total compensation. The dataset captures base salary, bonus and super contribution percentage — but not equity, share options, long-term incentive plans, vehicle allowances, professional-membership reimbursement, or commission/piece-rate income. For Sales, Real Estate Agent, Chef and Hospitality roles especially, headline base salaries understate total earnings.
- Tenure-adjusted comparisons. Two "Mid" entries can mean 3 years and 7 years of experience. Differences within levels are not de-trended.
- Cost-of-living adjustments. Sydney $145k and Hobart $100k may have similar disposable income after housing — the dataset reports gross, not net of cost of living.
- Gender breakdowns. Entries do not record gender, so gender pay gap analysis isn't computable from this dataset. ABS reports remain the canonical source on the national gender pay gap (currently 11.5% as of November 2025).
- Casual vs full-time. The dataset assumes full-time-equivalent annual salaries.
Refresh cadence
Reader entries are reviewed quarterly; a new dataset version is released when entries are added (v.26.05 is the current release, captured 16 May 2026). Reactive on the major industry-guide release windows: Hays publishes in May, Robert Walters in February, Robert Half in November, APS Pay Scales adjust March + August. Subscribe at the homepage or follow /browse/ for new entries as they land.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary in the SalaryThread dataset?
The median base salary in the SalaryThread dataset is $90,000. The mean is $107,861, pulled higher by senior and specialist roles. Including bonus, median total compensation is $95,000. This is a median of compiled entries, not an official figure: for the national median, use the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours release.
Which industry has the highest median in the dataset?
In this dataset, Mining has the highest median at $135,000 (30 entries), followed by Technology at $130,000 (91 entries) and Consulting at $120,000 (19 entries). Retail has the lowest median at $60,000 — a $75,000 gap between top and bottom industry.
Do Sydney entries sit higher than other cities?
In this dataset, only in some industries. Sydney entries sit higher by +57.1% in Telecommunications, +28.3% in Technology, +28.2% in Finance, +26.6% in Insurance, +23.3% in Marketing — concentrated in white-collar and professional services. Property (+5.9%), Healthcare (+9.2%) and Energy (+11.4%) show much smaller gaps. Samples are small, so treat these as indicative.
How do Senior and Junior medians compare in the dataset?
The Senior median is 164% above the Junior median — $145,000 vs $55,000 — across the SalaryThread dataset. Mid-level entries sit at $85,000 median, so level medians run $55k → $85k → $145k.
How many entries in the dataset are fully remote?
4.1% of entries are tagged fully remote, 28.9% hybrid and 67.0% office. Most entries are compiled from published salary guides, so this shows how the source roles were tagged, not how Australians work — ABS working-arrangements data is the source for that.
Where does the data come from?
805 entries, mostly compiled from published salary sources, chiefly these guides (plus anonymous reader entries as they arrive): Hays FY25/26, Robert Walters 2026, Robert Half 2026, APS Pay Scales March 2026. Full methodology at /about/.
For journalists and researchers
How to cite this dataset
This page is freely citable. Suggested attribution:
Raw data is available at /data.js (JavaScript array, ~64 KB). For a structured CSV with the per-entry breakdown, email hello@salarythread.com — happy to send.
Spot something we got wrong, or have data we should incorporate? Same email.
Related
- Browse all 805 entries — searchable, filterable
- Methodology — what we collect, what we exclude
- File an entry — anonymous; takes 90 seconds