Look up what people in 827 occupations earn, from Australian tax returns for 2023–24: the median and average salary or wage, and men's and women's medians.
Key facts
- This table covers 827 occupations with at least 1,000 people, from what they reported in their 2023–24 tax returns (ATO Taxation Statistics).
- The median salary or wage is the middle person's wage income from all their jobs, so it's the best guide to what a typical worker in that job earns; the average is pulled up by high earners.
- Figures include part-time and casual workers, so occupations with many part-timers (like retail and hospitality) have lower medians than their full-time pay rates.
- The most common occupation is retail assistant - general (378,516 people), with a median salary or wage of $30,817.
- For award pay rates and full-time salaries, see the pay-by-job pages, which use Fair Work pay guides and enterprise agreements.
The 20 most common occupations (2023–24)
| Occupation | Median salary or wage | Average salary or wage | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Assistant - general | $30,817 | $34,106 | 378,516 |
| Office worker | $50,481 | $51,537 | 302,889 |
| Administrator - program | $72,911 | $77,095 | 284,325 |
| Corporate general manager | $99,103 | $124,520 | 254,556 |
| Chief executive officer | $80,000 | $126,813 | 237,168 |
| Aged or disabled carer | $47,498 | $49,533 | 221,428 |
| Administrator - office | $61,822 | $63,986 | 207,008 |
| School teacher - infant or primary school | $87,539 | $82,805 | 192,536 |
| Childcare worker | $44,071 | $43,273 | 189,621 |
| Storeperson | $52,871 | $51,200 | 184,839 |
| Director - sales | $104,944 | $125,497 | 176,844 |
| School teacher - high school or secondary school | $97,755 | $91,917 | 172,516 |
| Truck driver | $83,815 | $83,494 | 162,602 |
| Drink waiter | $22,873 | $26,952 | 150,633 |
| Analyst - financial | $94,135 | $112,734 | 148,328 |
| Chef | $57,772 | $57,008 | 142,550 |
| Cleaner - commercial | $35,674 | $38,081 | 136,859 |
| Registered nurse - other | $79,000 | $79,071 | 134,254 |
| Client service manager | $64,830 | $67,720 | 125,926 |
| Cashier | $22,750 | $27,111 | 121,808 |
Common questions
Where does this salary data come from?
The ATO's Taxation Statistics 2023–24, Individuals Table 15: averages and medians from individual tax returns, by the occupation people gave in their return.
Why is the median lower than the award or advertised salary?
It includes everyone who reported that occupation, including part-time and casual workers and people who worked only part of the year, so it's lower than a full-time rate.
How do men's and women's pay compare?
The table shows the median salary or wage for men and women in each occupation; differences partly reflect more women working part-time.
How do I find my job?
Type part of the job title. The ATO's occupation names sometimes put the main word first (for example 'Consultant - management' or 'Nurse - aged care'), so try a single keyword.
See also the highest paying jobs, pay by job (award rates), average salary in Australia and the salary after tax calculator.
Source: ATO Taxation Statistics 2023–24, Individuals Table 15A (data.gov.au). Checked 22 October 2026.