Accountants employed by the Australian Public Service or a state public service are paid under that service's enterprise agreement — see the public service pay scales.
Is there an award for accountants?
Accountants are award-free. The Fair Work Ombudsman's guidance is that accountants working for an accounting firm are not covered by any modern award, and accountants working elsewhere are also award-free unless their employer's industry award has a classification that matches their duties.
An award-free accountant is still protected by the National Minimum Wage and the National Employment Standards — annual leave, personal leave, notice, redundancy pay and the rest. Above that floor, pay is whatever the employment contract or an enterprise agreement says.
Clerical and bookkeeping staff are different. Accounts clerks and other clerical employees in an accounting firm are generally covered by the Clerks—Private Sector Award, which has its own minimum rates.
Accountant minimum pay 2026–27
These rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rates for the hours they work.
The legal minimum for an award-free accountant
The National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279), from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. It is the floor, not a typical accountant's salary.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Minimum Wage (adult)Applies to award-free employees aged 21 and over | $26.44 | $1,004.90 | $52,255 | $33.05 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Accountant penalty rates and overtime
Award-free employees have no award penalty rates or overtime rates. Any penalty, overtime or time-in-lieu arrangement comes from your contract or enterprise agreement, and the NES only requires that additional hours be reasonable.
Overtime
- There is no overtime rate for award-free employees. The NES allows an employer to require reasonable additional hours; whether extra hours are paid, banked as time in lieu or absorbed into your salary depends on your contract.
- Your pay still has to be at least the National Minimum Wage for your ordinary hours.
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Accountant pay after tax
On the median of $2,003 a week, a full-time accountant earns about $104,156 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $104,156 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$21,767 |
| Medicare levy | −$2,083 |
| Take-home per year | $80,306 |
| Take-home per week | $1,544 |
2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy; no HECS-HELP repayment and no Medicare levy surcharge. Superannuation is paid on top by your employer. For the full breakdown see take-home pay on $105,000 (the nearest step to $104,156), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What accountants actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Accountants (ANZSCO 2211) at $2,003 a week ($53 an hour), against $1,852 a week for all occupations.
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.
What this page does not show
- A graduate-to-partner salary ladder: no primary source publishes one, and we do not estimate salaries.
- The high income threshold for unfair dismissal, which is set separately each 1 July.
Accountant pay questions
Pay rates for other jobs
How this page is sourced▼
Award coverage is taken from the Fair Work Ombudsman's published guidance and the minimum from the National Minimum Wage Order 2026, read on 23 September 2026.
The median comes from Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile and is a market figure, not an entitlement. Take-home figures use the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Award rates change every 1 July, so re-check after the next Annual Wage Review.
Sources & References
- 1Award coverage for accounts employees (K600033)— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 2Award coverage for clerical employees in an accounting firm (K600010)— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279)— Fair Work Commission
- 4Accountants (ANZSCO 2211) occupation profile — ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025— Jobs and Skills Australia
Last verified: 23 September 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.
Areas of Expertise