Australian Data · ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025
Average Salary by Profession in Australia —
ABS Earnings by Occupation, 2026
What does each occupation earn in Australia? Average weekly earnings across all eight ANZSCO occupation groups, from the latest ABS Employee Earnings and Hours release — managers at the top, sales workers at the bottom, and where nurses, engineers and accountants sit.
Published 2026-06-29 · Updated 2026-06-29 · Reading time ~6 min
Short answer
The highest-paid occupation group in Australia is Managers at $2,800.90/week ($145,600/year), and the lowest is Sales Workers at $878.20/week ($45,700/year). The all-occupations average is $1,611.10/week (~$83,800/year). These are average earnings for all employees — full-time and part-time — from ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), so groups with lots of part-time work read low. Nurses, engineers and accountants all sit in Professionals (~$106,600/year on average). Compare with salary by industry.
Average weekly earnings by occupation group — Australia
ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025. Figures are average weekly total cash earnings for all employees (full-time and part-time) by ANZSCO major occupation group — a mean, not a median. Annualised = weekly × 52. Ranked highest to lowest.
| Occupation group | Weekly (avg) | Annualised |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | $2,800.90 | $145,600 |
| Professionals | $2,049.60 | $106,600 |
| Technicians & Trades Workers | $1,756.90 | $91,400 |
| Machinery Operators & Drivers | $1,695.70 | $88,200 |
| Clerical & Administrative Workers | $1,370.60 | $71,300 |
| Labourers | $1,067.70 | $55,500 |
| Community & Personal Service Workers | $1,048.10 | $54,500 |
| Sales Workers | $878.20 | $45,700 |
| All occupations | $1,611.10 | $83,800 |
Source: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2025 (average weekly total cash earnings, all employees). Verify current and detailed-occupation figures at abs.gov.au. All-employee averages include part-time workers, so they sit below full-time pay.
Which jobs sit in each group — and what drives pay
CEOs, general managers, and specialist managers (IT, construction, finance, sales). The highest-paid group — leadership roles concentrate seniority, bonuses, and full-time hours.
The group most people search for by name — registered nurses, engineers, accountants, lawyers, teachers, doctors, and software/ICT professionals all sit here. Pay varies enormously within it: a surgeon and a graduate teacher are both “Professionals”, so treat the group average as a midpoint, not your number.
Electricians, plumbers, carpenters, motor mechanics, and chefs. Licensed trades command strong full-time pay; the all-employee average is pulled down by apprentices on training wages.
Truck and delivery drivers, plant and machine operators, and train drivers. Shift and overtime loadings lift actual take-home above this base figure.
Receptionists, payroll and accounts staff, office managers, and data-entry roles — the administrative backbone of most workplaces, with a sizeable part-time share.
Cleaners, kitchenhands, farm and construction labourers, and factory hands. Entry-level award pay and a high casual share keep the group average low.
Aged and disability carers, childcare workers, hospitality staff, fitness instructors, and hairdressers — plus police and emergency services. A very high part-time share pulls the all-employee average well below full-time rates.
Retail assistants, checkout operators, sales reps, and real-estate agents. The lowest group average — and the most part-time, casual workforce of any group, so this figure understates full-time sales pay.
Why these are lower than “full-time” salary figures
These figures come from ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, which measures all employees — full-time and part-time. That makes them whole-of-workforce averages, not full-time salaries. Three things to keep in mind:
- Part-time drags the average — a 20-hour-a-week worker earns about half a full-timer's weekly pay. Groups like Sales and Community & Personal Service have the most part-time work, so their averages look low.
- It's a mean, not a median — high earners pull the average above the typical middle worker in every group.
- Group averages hide huge ranges — “Professionals” spans graduate teachers and surgeons. Your occupation's figure can sit well above or below the group.
For full-time pay by sector, see average salary by industry; for pay across your career stage, see average salary by age.
Compare against the full picture
Your occupation sets your pay; what you do with it sets your wealth. Free tools and data, no signup.
- Average Australian salary by industry — full-time weekly earnings across all 18 sectors, from ABS Average Weekly Earnings.
- Average salary by age in Australia — median total income by 5-year age band, men vs women, peak earning years.
- Australian income tax calculator — enter your gross salary, see take-home pay, Medicare Levy, and PAYG.
- Average net worth by age — assets minus liabilities by age band, from ABS + HILDA.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest-paying profession in Australia?+
By ANZSCO occupation group, Managers are the highest-paid, with average weekly total cash earnings of $2,800.90 — about $145,600 a year (ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). Professionals are next at $2,049.60 a week (~$106,600). Within those groups, the individual highest-paid roles — surgeons, anaesthetists, and other medical specialists — earn far more than the group average; ATO Taxation Statistics consistently rank medical specialists as the top-earning occupations in Australia.
What is the average salary for a nurse, engineer, or accountant in Australia?+
Registered nurses, engineers, and accountants all sit in the Professionals occupation group, which has average weekly total cash earnings of $2,049.60 — roughly $106,600 a year for all employees (ABS, May 2025). But the group average spans a very wide range: a graduate in any of these fields earns well below it, while a senior engineer or partner-track accountant earns well above. For a specific occupation figure, the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours detailed data cubes and Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles are the authoritative sources.
Is this the average or median salary by occupation?+
These are averages (means), not medians. The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey reports average weekly total cash earnings per occupation group. The mean sits above the median in every group because high earners pull it up. The ABS also publishes median and distributional data in the same release if you want the typical middle worker rather than the average.
Why are Sales and Community & Personal Service earnings so low?+
Because these figures are for all employees, including part-time and casual workers — and Sales (retail assistants, checkout operators) and Community & Personal Service (carers, childcare, hospitality) have the highest part-time shares of any occupation groups. A part-timer working 20 hours a week earns about half a full-timer's weekly pay, which drags the group average down. The full-time hourly rates in these groups are materially higher than the all-employee weekly average suggests.
Do these figures include part-time workers?+
Yes. ABS Employee Earnings and Hours covers all employees — full-time and part-time. That is the key difference from the Average Weekly Earnings series used on our average salary by industry page, which is full-time adults only. Including part-time workers lowers the averages, especially in occupation groups with a lot of part-time and casual work. Read these as whole-of-workforce averages, not full-time salaries.
What is the difference between salary by profession and salary by industry?+
Occupation is what you do (your role); industry is the sector you do it in. A payroll officer (a Clerical & Administrative occupation) earns differently depending on whether they work in mining or hospitality. Our average salary by industry page shows full-time earnings by sector, and this page shows all-employee earnings by occupation group — together they bracket your likely pay.
How often is this data updated?+
The ABS publishes Employee Earnings and Hours every two years, for a May reference period. This page uses the May 2025 release (published January 2026), the most recent available; the next is expected around May 2027. We re-verify every figure against each new release. For the live numbers and detailed-occupation breakdowns, see the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours page at abs.gov.au.
Is Richify available in Australia, and what does it cost?+
Yes — Richify is available to download in Australia on the App Store and Google Play, and it is free to start. The app tracks your income alongside super, ASX shares, and property, so you can see how your earnings build into net worth over time. Felix and the specialist AI agents are built for Australians, with HECS, super, and CGT logic baked in.
