"Australia is one of the most expensive places to live in, but Australians enjoy some of the highest salaries in the world". We often hear this. And it is probably true. Let's have a look at the average earnings in Australia, considering the most popular jobs.
The national minimum wage in Australia is currently $17.29 per hour or $656.90 per 38 hour week (before tax). On top of that, there is the Superannuation, an investment designed to help Australian workers to save for retirement. You can visit Fair Work to find out all you need to know about minimum wages and what to do if your working agreement doesn't respect the law.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average weekly earning in Australia is $1,500 (about 6,000 per month). Obviously, there are many differences according to the area you live in, the occupation, your qualification and years of experience.
Let's take a look at average wages for a few different occupations.
Occupation Average annual salary Occupation Average annual salary
| Waiter/Waitress | $31,395 | Architect | $59,931 |
| Kitchen Hand | $40,771 | Truck Driver | $61,185 |
| Farm Worker | $43,200 | High School Teacher | $61,819 |
| Pizza Cook | $48,715 | Builder | $64,486 |
| Automobile Mechanic | $48,519 | Researcher (Scientific) | $67,635 |
| Carpenter | $51,987 | Mechanical Engineer | $72,030 |
| Floor Lyer | $53,722 | Senior Lecturer | $98,621 |
| Registered Nurse | $55,016 | Miner | $100,997 |
| Head Chef | $59,634 | Doctor (General Practice) | $102,247 |
