Median Wages in Australia, August 2018
The figure for Median wages differs from the often produced Average figure (Mean Average), and is commonly about 20% lower than the average.
The Median Figure is the figure where half of the people are above and half are below.
Median average full time earnings:
-
- Male: $1,400 per week. $72,800 per year.
- Female: $1,229 per week. $63,908 per year.
Full-time Median Wages in Australia, August 2018
The 2018 median earnings for full-time employees was $1,320 per week (up from $1,261 per week in August 2017, an increase of 4.68%).
The figure for Male employees was $1,400, with $1,229 for Females.
Part-time Median Wages in Australia, August 2018
The 2018 median earnings for part-time employees was $530 per week (up from $500 per week in August 2017, an increase of 6.00%).
The figure for Male employees was $480, with $550 for Females.
Rankings of Median Wages by Australian State & Territory in August 2018
The highest median wage was in the ACT, while the lowest was in Tasmania.
State Based Median wage as a ranking by percentage of the Australian National Median Wage (Full Time, Part Time and Casual):
-
- 121.95% ACT
- 112.95% NT
- 107.88% WA
- 99.81% NSW
- 99.16% Vic
- 98.50% QLD
- 93.81% SA
- 90.15% Tas
Male Full-time Median Weekly Wages in Australia 2004 to 2018
$ 850 – 2004
$ 900 – 2005
$ 950 – 2006
$1,000 – 2007
$1,025 – 2008
$1,096 – 2009
$1,134 – 2010
$1,193 – 2011
$1,200 – 2012
$1,250 – 2013
$1,299 – 2014
$1,300 – 2015
$1,300 – 2016
$1,342 – 2017
$1,400 – 2018
Female Full-time Median Weekly Wages in Australia 2004 to 2018
$ 729 – 2004
$ 760 – 2005
$ 800 – 2006
$ 846 – 2007
$ 900 – 2008
$ 917 – 2009
$ 962 – 2010
$1,000 – 2011
$1,040 – 2012
$1,035 – 2013
$1,100 – 2014
$1,120 – 2015
$1,144 – 2016
$1,187 – 2017
$1,229 – 2018
Source: ABS: 6333.0 – Characteristics of Employment, Australia, August 2018
Example of Median Average Calculation.
If you have eleven numbers, such as: 400, 450, 500, 525, 550, 575, 600, 700, 1000, 2000 and 3000, then you remove the top 5 and the bottom 5, leaving the number 575 being the middle number, and this is the median number.
Example of Mean Average Calculation.
If you have the same eleven numbers, such as: 400, 450, 500, 525, 550, 575, 600, 700, 1000, 2000 and 3000, you add them all together (10,300) and divide by eleven, you get the average of 936.36.
Female Median Wage as percentage of Male Median Wage
The female median full time wage has ranged between 83% and 87% of the male median over these years.
This might be explained by the higher numbers of lower paid employees being female, such as shop assistants, supermarket cashiers etc.
These jobs are normally paid at the same rate for both male and female, but with more being females, it causes a lower median rate for the female median figure.