“What is a good salary?” is one of the most-searched questions in Australia — and the honest answer is that it depends on where you live, who you are supporting, and what you compare it to. A salary that feels comfortable in Adelaide can feel tight in Sydney.
This guide gives you the benchmarks that matter in 2026: average versus median earnings, what different salaries are actually worth after tax, and what counts as “good” in each major city and for each stage of life.
The Short Answer
If you want a single number: a good salary in Australia in 2026 is around $100,000 to $120,000 a year for a single person — roughly $77,000 to $91,000 after tax. That puts you above the median worker, covers a comfortable lifestyle in most cities, and leaves room to save.
But “good” is relative. Here is how salaries stack up against the national benchmarks:
| Annual salary | After-tax take-home | How it compares |
|---|---|---|
| $70,000 | $56,812 | Below median — tight in big cities |
| $80,000 | $63,612 | Above median — comfortable outside Sydney |
| $90,000 | $70,412 | Solid — the start of “good” for singles |
| $100,000 | $77,212 | Good — above average take-home |
| $120,000 | $90,812 | Very good — comfortable in any city |
| $150,000 | $110,162 | Excellent — top earners territory |
Take-home figures use 2025-26 tax rates plus the 2% Medicare levy, with no offsets, HECS or salary sacrifice. Check your own salary with our income tax calculator.
Average vs Median: The Two Numbers That Matter
Two statistics dominate every “good salary” discussion, and they tell very different stories:
- Average full-time earnings: about $108,350 a year. The ABS’s average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults sit at roughly $2,084 a week. The average is pulled up by very high earners — mining workers average over $3,170 a week, and finance and tech professionals sit well above the mean.
- Median earnings: around $74,100 a year. The median is the middle point — half of Australian workers earn more, half earn less. It is a better guide to what a “typical” worker actually earns.
The $34,000 gap between the two is the whole story of Australian pay in one number: earnings are skewed, with a long tail of high incomes lifting the average far above what most people take home.
So which should you compare yourself to? If you earn $80,000, you are above the median — you earn more than half of Australian workers — but below the average. If you earn $110,000, you beat both. Most people’s intuitive sense of a “good” salary sits somewhere between the median and the average: roughly $85,000 to $110,000.
What Different Salaries Actually Buy You
Salary figures mean little without the after-tax reality. Here is what each level leaves you per month to actually spend:
| Salary | Monthly take-home | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| $70,000 | $4,734 | Covers basics; saving is hard in Sydney/Melbourne |
| $80,000 | $5,301 | Comfortable renting; modest saving possible |
| $90,000 | $5,868 | Comfortable; real saving capacity |
| $100,000 | $6,434 | Good lifestyle; can save and enjoy life |
| $120,000 | $7,568 | Very comfortable; strong saving or mortgage capacity |
| $150,000 | $9,180 | Excellent; top ~10% of earners |
A useful rule of thumb: every extra $10,000 of salary between $45,000 and $135,000 is worth about $6,800 in your pocket after the 30% marginal rate and Medicare levy. Above $135,000, each extra $10,000 is worth about $6,100 (37% bracket). Diminishing returns are real — which is why tax-effective strategies like salary sacrifice matter more as your income rises.
What Counts as a Good Salary by City
Housing is the great divider. The same salary buys a dramatically different life depending on your postcode:
Sydney
Australia’s most expensive city. Median rents for a one-bedroom unit hover around $650–$700 a week — over $34,000 a year. A single person needs roughly $100,000–$110,000 to live comfortably and save; a family aiming to buy needs a household income well above $180,000. Below $90,000, Sydney is a grind of flat-sharing and long commutes.
Melbourne
Cheaper than Sydney but not cheap. A comfortable single lifestyle starts around $90,000–$100,000; renting a decent one-bedroom costs roughly $500–$550 a week. Melbourne’s advantage is that $100,000 here feels like $115,000 in Sydney.
Brisbane
The value pick of the east coast capitals. Rents run 20–30% below Sydney, and $85,000–$95,000 buys a genuinely comfortable single life. Brisbane is where an $80,000 salary — tight in Sydney — starts to feel good.
Perth
High wages meet moderate housing costs. Mining and resources push average pay up, while rents sit below Sydney and Melbourne levels. $90,000–$100,000 is comfortable, and Perth buyers get far more house per dollar than on the east coast.
Adelaide and Hobart
Australia’s most affordable capitals. In Adelaide, $80,000–$90,000 delivers a lifestyle that would cost $110,000+ in Sydney — shorter commutes, cheaper rents, and realistic home ownership on a single income. Hobart is similar, though its smaller job market means fewer high-paying roles.
Canberra
High public-sector salaries meet high housing costs. The ACT has the highest average earnings in the country (around $2,237 a week full-time), but buying a house requires a big income. $100,000+ is the comfort threshold here.
Regional Australia
The arbitrage opportunity: keep a city salary (or close to it) with regional housing costs. In many regional centres, $80,000 buys a lifestyle — a house with a yard, short commute, real savings — that $130,000 struggles to match in Sydney. The trade-off is fewer roles and slower career progression in some fields.
What Is a Good Salary by Household Situation?
Single, renting: $90,000–$100,000 is the sweet spot nationally — about $5,870–$6,430 a month after tax. You can rent well, save 15–20%, and still enjoy life. In Sydney, push that to $110,000.
Couple, no kids, both working: A combined $160,000–$180,000 (say, two $80,000–$90,000 salaries) is very comfortable almost anywhere and puts home ownership firmly in reach outside Sydney.
Family, single income: This is where it gets hard. A single $100,000 income supporting a family means $6,434 a month after tax to cover everything — doable in Brisbane or Adelaide, very tight in Sydney. Most single-income families need $130,000–$150,000 for genuine comfort in a major city.
Family, dual income: Combined $180,000–$220,000 is the “comfortable family” benchmark in Sydney and Melbourne — enough for a mortgage, childcare, and savings. Outside the big two cities, $150,000–$180,000 combined does the job.
What Makes a Salary “Good” Beyond the Number
The raw figure is only half the story. Two people on $100,000 can have very different lives depending on:
- HECS debt. A $100,000 salary with a $40,000 HECS balance means compulsory repayments of about $4,950 a year — money that never reaches your bank account.
- Super. At 12%, a $100,000 salary comes with $12,000 a year in super — part of your total package even though you never see it.
- Job security and growth. An $85,000 role with a clear path to $120,000 beats a stagnant $95,000.
- Hours worked. $100,000 for a 38-hour week is $50.48 an hour; the same salary for 55-hour weeks is $34.96. Always convert with a salary to hourly calculator before comparing offers.
- Benefits. Extra leave, flexible work, bonuses and salary-sacrifice options can be worth thousands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is $100,000 a good salary in Australia in 2026?
Yes. $100,000 leaves you about $77,212 after tax ($6,434 a month), puts you above both the median ($74,100) and within reach of the average ($108,350), and supports a comfortable single lifestyle in every Australian city.
What salary is considered rich in Australia?
There is no official line, but earning $150,000+ puts you roughly in the top 10% of income earners. At $190,000+ you hit the top 45% marginal tax bracket — a reasonable working definition of “high income” in the tax system.
Is $80,000 a good salary in Australia?
It is above the median, so you earn more than half of Australian workers. It is comfortable in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and regional areas, but tight for a single renter in Sydney. See our full after-tax breakdown of $80,000.
What is the average salary in Australia in 2026?
Average full-time adult ordinary earnings are about $108,350 a year (roughly $2,084 a week), while the median worker earns around $74,100. The average is pulled up by high earners; the median better reflects typical pay.
How much do I need to earn to buy a house in Sydney?
As a rough guide, banks lend around 5–6 times your gross income. With Sydney’s median house price, a single buyer typically needs $180,000–$220,000+ or a large deposit; couples can manage on a combined $180,000 with a solid deposit saved.
Is $70,000 a good salary for a 25-year-old?
For someone early in their career, $70,000 is a strong starting position — it is close to the national median and leaves about $4,734 a month after tax. What matters more at 25 is the trajectory: roles with growth to $100,000+ within a few years.
The Bottom Line
A good salary in Australia in 2026 is $100,000–$120,000 for a single person — safely above the $74,100 median, near the $108,350 average, and enough for a comfortable life in any city. Adjust up for Sydney, down for Adelaide or regional Australia, and always judge a salary by its after-tax monthly figure, not the headline number.
See exactly what any salary is worth in your pocket with our income tax calculator — tax, Medicare and take-home pay in seconds.