The 10 Highest Median Weekly Pays
These are the ten occupations with the highest median weekly pay among the jobs on this site. Each name links to the occupation’s award rates, allowances and penalty rates; the last column links to the take-home table for the closest salary.
| # | Occupation | Median gross a week | Gross a year | Take-home a week | Take-home table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crane Operator | $3,411 | $177,372 | $2,445 | Take-home on $175,000 |
| 2 | Business Analyst | $2,697 | $140,244 | $2,009 | Take-home on $140,000 |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineer | $2,614 | $135,928 | $1,959 | Take-home on $135,000 |
| 4 | Fitter and Turner | $2,606 | $135,512 | $1,954 | Take-home on $135,000 |
| 5 | Mortgage Broker | $2,576 | $133,952 | $1,934 | Take-home on $135,000 |
| 6 | Electrical Engineer | $2,553 | $132,756 | $1,918 | Take-home on $135,000 |
| 7 | Software Engineer | $2,537 | $131,924 | $1,907 | Take-home on $130,000 |
| 8 | Cyber Security Professional | $2,461 | $127,972 | $1,856 | Take-home on $130,000 |
| 9 | Doctor | $2,446 | $127,192 | $1,846 | Take-home on $125,000 |
| 10 | Veterinarian | $2,413 | $125,476 | $1,823 | Take-home on $125,000 |
Median weekly pay of full-time, non-managerial adult employees, before tax (Jobs and Skills Australia, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). Take-home applies 2026-27 resident tax, the low income tax offset and Medicare levy to the median × 52, with no HELP debt and private hospital cover. Read 23 September 2026.
How to Read the Median and the Take-Home Figure
Median weekly pay of full-time, non-managerial adult employees before tax and salary sacrifice, from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) as published by Jobs and Skills Australia. It reflects what employers actually pay, including people on enterprise agreements or above-award salaries, so it is a market figure, not a legal minimum. The take-home figure turns that median into what lands in the bank. On the nurse median of $2,192 a week, gross pay is $113,984 a year; tax and Medicare take $26,995, leaving $86,989 or $1,673 a week. Higher medians lose a larger share to tax because each higher band is taxed at a higher rate; the marginal tax rates page shows what a raise at each level keeps.
The median is not the award minimum. Each occupation page also shows the legal minimum under the modern award, which is usually lower than the median. To start from your own hourly rate instead, use the net pay calculator, and for an annual salary the take-home pay calculator.
Median $2,000 a Week or More (28 jobs)
At or Above the National Median, Under $2,000 (7 jobs)
These occupations earn at least the all-occupations median of $1,852 a week but under $2,000.
| # | Occupation | Median gross a week | Gross a year | Take-home a week | Take-home table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Plumber | $1,990 | $103,480 | $1,536 | Take-home on $105,000 |
| 30 | Truck Driver | $1,960 | $101,920 | $1,515 | Take-home on $100,000 |
| 31 | Pharmacist | $1,956 | $101,712 | $1,512 | Take-home on $100,000 |
| 32 | Occupational Therapist | $1,913 | $99,476 | $1,483 | Take-home on $100,000 |
| 33 | Early Childhood Teacher | $1,906 | $99,112 | $1,478 | Take-home on $100,000 |
| 34 | Excavator Operator | $1,900 | $98,800 | $1,474 | Take-home on $100,000 |
| 35 | Physiotherapist | $1,888 | $98,176 | $1,466 | Take-home on $100,000 |
Below the National Median (32 jobs)
These occupations have a median under $1,852 a week. Pay in many of them is set by an award, so the award rates and penalty rates matter as much as the median.
| # | Occupation | Median gross a week | Gross a year | Take-home a week | Take-home table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Security Guard | $1,818 | $94,536 | $1,419 | Take-home on $95,000 |
| 37 | Bus Driver | $1,795 | $93,340 | $1,403 | Take-home on $95,000 |
| 38 | Disability Support WorkerSame median group as Aged Care Worker | $1,761 | $91,572 | $1,380 | Take-home on $90,000 |
| 39 | Aged Care WorkerSame median group as Disability Support Worker | $1,761 | $91,572 | $1,380 | Take-home on $90,000 |
| 40 | Carpenter | $1,760 | $91,520 | $1,379 | Take-home on $90,000 |
| 41 | BoilermakerSame median group as Welder | $1,688 | $87,776 | $1,330 | Take-home on $90,000 |
| 42 | WelderSame median group as Boilermaker | $1,688 | $87,776 | $1,330 | Take-home on $90,000 |
| 43 | Dietitian | $1,667 | $86,684 | $1,316 | Take-home on $85,000 |
| 44 | Vet Nurse | $1,667 | $86,684 | $1,316 | Take-home on $85,000 |
| 45 | Mechanic | $1,622 | $84,344 | $1,285 | Take-home on $85,000 |
| 46 | Retail Manager | $1,620 | $84,240 | $1,284 | Take-home on $85,000 |
| 47 | Payroll Officer | $1,606 | $83,512 | $1,274 | Take-home on $85,000 |
| 48 | Lab TechnicianSame median group as Pathology Collector | $1,539 | $80,028 | $1,229 | Take-home on $80,000 |
| 49 | Pathology CollectorSame median group as Lab Technician | $1,539 | $80,028 | $1,229 | Take-home on $80,000 |
| 50 | Real Estate AgentSame median group as Property Manager | $1,504 | $78,208 | $1,205 | Take-home on $80,000 |
| 51 | Property ManagerSame median group as Real Estate Agent | $1,504 | $78,208 | $1,205 | Take-home on $80,000 |
| 52 | BartenderSame median group as Barista | $1,500 | $78,000 | $1,202 | Take-home on $80,000 |
| 53 | BaristaSame median group as Bartender | $1,500 | $78,000 | $1,202 | Take-home on $80,000 |
| 54 | Personal Trainer | $1,500 | $78,000 | $1,202 | Take-home on $80,000 |
| 55 | Chef | $1,423 | $73,996 | $1,150 | Take-home on $75,000 |
| 56 | Bookkeeper | $1,400 | $72,800 | $1,134 | Take-home on $75,000 |
| 57 | Paralegal | $1,345 | $69,940 | $1,097 | Take-home on $70,000 |
| 58 | Teacher Aide | $1,342 | $69,784 | $1,095 | Take-home on $70,000 |
| 59 | Childcare Worker | $1,341 | $69,732 | $1,094 | Take-home on $70,000 |
| 60 | Forklift Operator | $1,340 | $69,680 | $1,094 | Take-home on $70,000 |
| 61 | Cleaner | $1,254 | $65,208 | $1,035 | Take-home on $65,000 |
| 62 | Retail Worker | $1,241 | $64,532 | $1,027 | Take-home on $65,000 |
| 63 | Medical ReceptionistSame median group as Receptionist | $1,229 | $63,908 | $1,019 | Take-home on $65,000 |
| 64 | ReceptionistSame median group as Medical Receptionist | $1,229 | $63,908 | $1,019 | Take-home on $65,000 |
| 65 | Dental Assistant | $1,211 | $62,972 | $1,007 | Take-home on $65,000 |
| 66 | Hairdresser | $1,209 | $62,868 | $1,006 | Take-home on $65,000 |
| 67 | Pharmacy Assistant | $1,112 | $57,824 | $941 | Take-home on $60,000 |
What This Ranking Does Not Include
- Jobs we do not cover. It ranks only occupations with a pay page here. Many managers, executives and professionals are not in it.
- Overtime, penalties and allowances. The median is ordinary full-time pay. Extras such as overtime and the allowances in your award are on top.
- Part-time and casual pay. The median is for full-time employees. See casual loading for casual rates.
- Super. Employer super is paid on top of the figures shown and is not part of gross or take-home pay.
- HELP repayments and the Medicare levy surcharge. Neither is assumed. A HELP debt reduces take-home pay: see the HECS-HELP calculator.
Related Calculators and Guides
- Pay Rates by Job: award minimums, penalties and allowances for each occupation
- Average Salary Australia: how a salary compares with the national figures
- Take-Home Pay on Every Salary: net pay tables from $20,000 to $500,000
- Pay Rates by Employer: what big employers pay
- Net Pay Calculator: from hourly rate to payslip
Frequently Asked Questions
Highest paying jobs questions and answers
What does the median weekly pay in this ranking mean?
It is the middle weekly pay for full-time, non-managerial adult employees in that occupation before tax and salary sacrifice, from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), published by Jobs and Skills Australia. Half the people in the occupation earn more and half earn less. It is what employers actually pay, so it is a market figure, not a legal minimum.
Is this a ranking of every job in Australia?
No. It ranks only the occupations that have a pay-rate page on this site and a published median. Jobs we do not cover, such as most managers, executives and many professionals, are not in it, so a job missing from the list is not necessarily lower paid.
Why is the take-home pay so much lower than the median?
The median is a before-tax figure. The take-home column applies the 2026-27 resident tax rates, the low income tax offset and the Medicare levy to the median weekly pay multiplied by 52. It assumes no HELP debt and private hospital cover. Higher medians lose a larger share to tax because of the progressive rates.
How is the median different from the award minimum wage for the job?
The award minimum is the lowest rate an employer can lawfully pay for a classification; the median is what full-time workers in the occupation actually earn, which includes enterprise agreements, above-award pay and higher classifications. Each occupation page shows both side by side.
Why do some jobs show the same median?
Where several jobs on this site fall into the same ANZSCO occupation group, for example radiographers and sonographers, Jobs and Skills Australia publishes one median for the group. Those rows are marked as sharing a median.
How can I see what my own pay comes to after tax?
Use the take-home pay calculator for an annual salary, or the net pay calculator to start from your hourly rate and hours. The marginal tax rates page shows how much of a raise or bonus you keep.
How we worked this out▼
Median weekly pay is the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation-profile figure for each job’s ANZSCO group (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025), transcribed on each occupation page on 23 September 2026. Gross a year = median weekly × 52. Take-home is calculated with the site’s 2026-27 resident tax engine (ATO resident rates, low income tax offset, Medicare levy), assuming no HELP debt and private hospital cover, and is linked to the nearest published take-home table. Jobs are ranked by median weekly pay; ties keep the registry order.
Medians are market figures for full-time, non-managerial adult employees and do not describe the pay of any one person or employer. General information, not career or tax advice.
Sources & References
- 1Occupation and industry profiles (ANZSCO), median weekly earnings— Jobs and Skills Australia
- 2Tax rates – Australian resident— Australian Taxation Office
- 3Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
Last verified: 5 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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