What people earn in Canberra: employee income across Greater Canberra and its regions from the ABS's Personal Income in Australia (2022–23, the latest available), with the latest Australian Capital Territory average and median weekly earnings.
Key facts
- Employees in Greater Canberra earned a median of $79,659 and an average (mean) of $87,801 from their jobs in 2022–23 (ABS, latest available), compared with $61,966 and $74,579 across Australia.
- The latest full-time figures are for the whole of Australian Capital Territory: average ordinary time earnings of $2,290.20 a week ($119,090 a year, ABS May 2026) and a median of $1,600 a week for all employees (August 2025).
- On the ACT full-time average of $119,090, take-home pay is about $90,461 a year after tax at 2026–27 rates.
- The Canberra median employee income rose 16.6% from 2018–19 to 2022–23.
- The median age of employees in Canberra is 37.
Canberra at a glance
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median employee income, Greater Canberra (2022–23) | $79,659 |
| Mean employee income, Greater Canberra (2022–23) | $87,801 |
| Median employee income, 2018–19 | $68,331 |
| Australian Capital Territory full-time average ordinary time earnings (May 2026) | $2,290.20 a week ($119,090 a year) |
| Australian Capital Territory full-time average, men / women | $121,259 / $116,698 |
| Australian Capital Territory median weekly earnings, all employees (August 2025) | $1,600 ($83,200 a year) |
| Employees | 278,718 |
| Median age of employees | 37 |
Highest-income suburbs in Canberra (2022–23)
| Rank | Area (ABS SA2) | Average income | Median income | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yarralumla | $125,675 | $89,834 | 1,623 |
| 2 | Forrest | $123,430 | $89,523 | 1,159 |
| 3 | Barton | $121,904 | $108,941 | 1,262 |
| 4 | Red Hill (ACT) | $119,485 | $84,277 | 1,856 |
| 5 | Deakin | $118,270 | $91,665 | 1,664 |
| 6 | Kingston (ACT) | $114,707 | $103,210 | 4,329 |
| 7 | Garran | $113,946 | $93,668 | 1,878 |
| 8 | Griffith (ACT) | $108,470 | $91,398 | 3,448 |
| 9 | Campbell | $107,309 | $91,190 | 3,099 |
| 10 | Hughes | $105,916 | $89,865 | 1,743 |
| 11 | Curtin | $105,867 | $87,664 | 3,221 |
| 12 | Chapman | $103,756 | $89,695 | 1,562 |
| 13 | Ainslie | $102,607 | $83,763 | 2,929 |
| 14 | Aranda | $102,342 | $88,671 | 1,465 |
| 15 | Narrabundah | $101,841 | $87,172 | 3,898 |
| 16 | Denman Prospect | $101,578 | $93,472 | 2,611 |
| 17 | Torrens | $100,261 | $83,634 | 1,395 |
| 18 | Forde | $99,834 | $92,802 | 2,758 |
| 19 | Farrer | $98,833 | $84,929 | 1,999 |
| 20 | Weetangera | $98,642 | $85,286 | 1,623 |
| 21 | Hackett | $98,185 | $86,655 | 1,862 |
| 22 | Fadden | $97,766 | $90,606 | 1,746 |
| 23 | Isaacs | $97,629 | $82,802 | 1,248 |
| 24 | Pearce | $96,281 | $84,124 | 1,590 |
| 25 | Duffy | $96,219 | $86,998 | 1,936 |
Areas with at least 1,000 employees, ranked by average employee income.
Compared with other capital cities (2022–23)
| City | Median employee income | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $66,619 | $83,795 |
| Melbourne | $63,274 | $76,405 |
| Brisbane | $62,853 | $74,246 |
| Perth | $66,543 | $81,163 |
| Adelaide | $60,000 | $68,201 |
| Canberra | $79,659 | $87,801 |
| Australia | $61,966 | $74,579 |
Common questions
What is the average salary in Canberra?
The average (mean) employee income in Greater Canberra was $87,801 in 2022–23, and the median $79,659 (ABS). For full-time workers in Australian Capital Territory, average ordinary time earnings are $119,090 a year (May 2026).
What is the average salary in Australian Capital Territory?
Full-time adults in Australian Capital Territory average $2,290.20 a week in ordinary time earnings, or $119,090 a year (ABS, May 2026): $121,259 for men and $116,698 for women. The median for all employees is $1,600 a week (August 2025).
What is a good salary in Canberra?
Anything above the ACT full-time average of $119,090 is above what most employees earn; half of Canberra's employees earned less than $79,659 in 2022–23.
How much is the average Canberra salary after tax?
About $90,461 a year, or $3,479.27 a fortnight, on the ACT full-time average of $119,090 (2026–27 tax rates, no HELP debt).
Why is the median lower than the average in Canberra?
The median is the middle income, so a small number of very high earners doesn't move it; the mean adds everyone up, so high incomes pull it up. Both include part-time workers.
See also average salary in Sydney, average salary in Melbourne, average salary in Brisbane, average salary in Perth, average salary in Adelaide, Australia and median income in Australia, and the salary after tax calculator.
Sources: ABS Personal Income in Australia, 2022–23 (employee income, Table 5; next release 27 November 2026), Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026 and Employee Earnings, August 2025. Checked 22 October 2026.