Income · ATO 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
What's the average income in Australia — and is it the right question?
The mean taxable income implied by the ATO 2023–24 distribution is roughly $80,000, but the median — the middle taxpayer — earns $58,733. The $21,000 gap exists because very high incomes drag the average up. If you want to know what's 'typical', the median is the honest number.
See where your income really sits → — Your percentile against 16.6 million real taxpayers
Average vs median vs the headlines
Three different numbers get called 'average income' in the media, and they measure different things. The mean taxable income (~$80,000) averages everyone who lodged a return, part-timers and billionaires alike. The median ($58,733) is the middle person. And the ABS full-time average weekly earnings figure that produces '$100,000+' headlines counts only full-time workers' ordinary earnings — excluding part-timers, the unemployed and most retirees, which is why it runs far above both.
| Measure | Amount | What it describes |
|---|---|---|
| Median taxable income | $58,733 | The middle taxpayer — half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $98,000 | Top quarter of taxpayers starts here |
| Mean taxable income (implied) | ≈$80,000 | Total income ÷ taxpayers — skewed by the top |
| 90th percentile | $149,000 | Top 10% starts here |
Why the mean runs $21,000 above the median
Income distributions have a long right tail: there's a hard floor at zero but no ceiling. The top 2.5% of taxpayers (over $250,000) earn enough between them to lift the national average by thousands of dollars while the median doesn't move. This is why 'average income' comparisons quietly flatter the statistic — about 63% of Australian taxpayers earn less than the average.
Common questions
Why do news stories say the average wage is over $100,000?
They're usually quoting ABS full-time adult average weekly ordinary-time earnings, annualised. That measure excludes part-time workers (about a third of the workforce), overtime and anyone not employed — so it describes a full-time subset, not the typical Australian income.
Is $80,000 a good salary in Australia?
It's above what roughly 65% of taxpayers report. Against full-time workers specifically it's nearer the middle. Where it sits for you depends most on your age band — $80,000 is top-quartile territory for under-30s but around the median for men 35–54.
Does taxable income understate what people really earn?
Somewhat. It's income after deductions, excludes salary-sacrificed super, and misses tax-free super drawdowns for over-60s. Gross 'total income' figures run a few thousand dollars higher, but the shape of the distribution is the same.