Average Salary by Age in Australia —
Median Income by 5-Year Band

Approximate median total income by age band (latest ABS Personal Income in Australia): age 25–29 ~$55,000; age 30–34 ~$68,000; age 35–39 ~$73,000; age 40–44 ~$75,000 (peak); age 45–49 ~$73,000; age 50–54 ~$68,000; age 55–59 ~$60,000; age 60–64 ~$47,000. These are MEDIAN total incomes (half of Australians in the age band earn more, half earn less) — the mean is significantly higher because high earners pull the average upward.

The median is the middle salary in the distribution — half of Australians earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of earners. The mean is consistently higher than the median because a relatively small number of very-high earners pull the mean upward. The median is the better personal benchmark for most people. ABS publishes both — the mean is roughly 25–35% higher than the median across most age bands in Australia.

A 'good' salary depends on age, location, and lifestyle. As a rough framework: at 30, earning above the median (~$68,000) puts you in the top half for your age; ~$95,000 puts you in the top quartile (75th percentile); ~$130,000+ puts you in the top 10%. In capital cities like Sydney and Melbourne, the cost-of-living-adjusted threshold for 'comfortable' is roughly $20,000–$30,000 higher than in regional Australia. ASFA's Comfortable Retirement Standard requires a working-life income above the median to fund a $595,000 super balance by 67.

The ABS gender pay gap reflects three factors: (1) career breaks — women are more likely to take time off work for caregiving, reducing cumulative earnings and seniority; (2) part-time work — a higher share of women work part-time, which reduces their median total income; (3) occupational and pay differences within the same role — the Workplace Gender Equality Agency reports a 21.7% gap in full-time total remuneration (2024). The gap widens between 30–44 (peak childbearing/caregiving years) and partially closes after 50 as women return to full-time work.

For full-time employed Australians, peak earning years are 40–44 for the combined median (~$75,000), and roughly the same for men (~$84,000 in that band). For women, the peak is slightly earlier at 35–39 (~$64,000) before caregiving-related career breaks reduce cumulative growth. After 45, median earnings plateau and then decline gradually — by 60–64 the median has fallen by roughly 35%, reflecting transitions to part-time work and semi-retirement.

ABS Personal Income in Australia uses 'total income' which includes wages and salaries, government payments, business income, and investment income. It does NOT include employer super contributions (those go directly to your super fund, not to you). Wages and salaries make up the majority of total income for working-age Australians (15–64), with government payments and investment income becoming a larger share post-60. For super balance benchmarks by age, see our companion page — /au/data/average-super-balance-by-age.

Income and net worth tell different stories. Income measures annual cash flow; net worth measures accumulated wealth. The two often diverge — high earners with large mortgages may have low net worth, while modest earners with paid-off homes may have high net worth. ABS publishes both: the Personal Income data shows annual cash; the Survey of Income and Housing shows accumulated assets minus liabilities. See /au/data/average-net-worth-by-age for the full net worth picture by age band.

Primary source: ABS Personal Income in Australia, which aggregates ATO Taxation Statistics by age and sex. Released annually with approximately two financial years' lag (i.e., the 2025-26 release reflects FY 2023-24 returns). Secondary source: ABS Average Weekly Earnings (AWE), released quarterly. For occupation-specific or industry-specific breakdowns, ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (EEH) survey is the standard reference. All sources are publicly available at abs.gov.au.