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Updated for 2026–27 · free to cite with attribution
Take-home pay for 37 common occupations on current ATO rates — set against how fast each industry’s wages are actually growing, and whether that’s keeping up with the cost of living.
37 of 37
tracked jobs whose industry pay isn't beating inflation
4.1%
CPI inflation (March quarter 2026)
3.2%
wage growth, all industries (WPI, March quarter 2026)
−0.9 pts
national real wage change (wages minus inflation)
ABS Wage Price Index annual growth minus CPI, for the industries our tracked occupations fall under. Green = pay is beating inflation; red = going backwards in real terms.
Sorted by take-home pay, highest first. Take-home assumes an Australian resident claiming the tax-free threshold with private hospital cover and no HELP debt. Wage growth is the ABS WPI for each job’s industry — click any occupation for the full breakdown.
| Occupation | Salary | Take-home / yr | Effective tax | Industry wage growth | Real change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR Manager | $130,000 | $97,880 | 24.7% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Mining Operator (FIFO) | $125,000 | $94,480 | 24.4% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Marketing Manager | $115,000 | $87,680 | 23.8% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Project Manager | $115,000 | $87,680 | 23.8% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Software Engineer | $115,000 | $87,680 | 23.8% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Lawyer (Solicitor) | $109,000 | $83,600 | 23.3% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Civil Engineer | $100,000 | $77,480 | 22.5% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Data Analyst | $100,000 | $77,480 | 22.5% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Secondary School Teacher | $98,000 | $76,120 | 22.3% | 3.0% | −1.1 pts |
| Mechanical Engineer | $95,000 | $74,080 | 22.0% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Primary School Teacher | $95,000 | $74,080 | 22.0% | 3.0% | −1.1 pts |
| Paramedic | $92,000 | $72,040 | 21.7% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Police Officer | $92,000 | $72,040 | 21.7% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Real Estate Agent | $90,000 | $70,680 | 21.5% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Physiotherapist | $88,000 | $69,320 | 21.2% | 3.6% | −0.5 pts |
| Registered Nurse | $88,000 | $69,320 | 21.2% | 3.6% | −0.5 pts |
| Accountant | $85,000 | $67,280 | 20.8% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Electrician | $85,000 | $67,280 | 20.8% | 3.2% | −0.9 pts |
| Executive Assistant | $85,000 | $67,280 | 20.8% | 2.8% | −1.3 pts |
| Financial Analyst | $85,000 | $67,280 | 20.8% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Firefighter | $85,000 | $67,280 | 20.8% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Plumber | $85,000 | $67,280 | 20.8% | 3.2% | −0.9 pts |
| Diesel Mechanic | $84,000 | $66,600 | 20.7% | 3.2% | −0.9 pts |
| Carpenter | $82,000 | $65,240 | 20.4% | 3.2% | −0.9 pts |
| Truck Driver | $82,000 | $65,240 | 20.4% | 3.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Retail Manager | $80,000 | $63,880 | 20.1% | 3.0% | −1.1 pts |
| Sales Representative | $80,000 | $63,880 | 20.1% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| IT Support Officer | $72,000 | $58,440 | 18.8% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
| Aged Care Worker | $71,000 | $57,760 | 18.6% | 3.6% | −0.5 pts |
| Early Childhood Educator | $70,000 | $57,080 | 18.5% | 3.0% | −1.1 pts |
| Office Administrator | $70,000 | $57,080 | 18.5% | 2.8% | −1.3 pts |
| Chef | $68,000 | $55,720 | 18.1% | 3.0% | −1.1 pts |
| Enrolled Nurse | $68,000 | $55,720 | 18.1% | 3.6% | −0.5 pts |
| Delivery Driver | $65,000 | $53,680 | 17.4% | 3.5% | −0.6 pts |
| Farm Worker | $65,000 | $53,680 | 17.4% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts |
| Barista | $62,000 | $51,640 | 16.7% | 3.0% | −1.1 pts |
| Bank Teller | $58,000 | $48,920 | 15.7% | 2.9% | −1.2 pts |
Salary figures are national full-time indicative medians from ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation data and relevant awards, cross-checked against industry salary guides (2025). Take-home pay applies the 2026–27 resident tax brackets, Medicare levy and offsets exactly as our salary tax calculator does. Wage growth is the ABS Wage Price Index (annual, all sectors) and inflation is the national All-groups CPI — both read live from our data pipeline.
The ABS publishes wage growth by industry, not by occupation, so each occupation is mapped to its closest ANZSIC 2006 division for the wage-growth and real-change columns (e.g. nurses → Health care and social assistance, teachers → Education and training, electricians → Construction). That mapping is a disclosed approximation; the take-home figures are exact. Figures are indicative, not award rates or financial advice.
You’re welcome to reference these figures with a link (CC BY 4.0). Suggested citation: “Australian wages vs inflation 2026–27, Oz Finance Hub, ozfinancehub.com.au/australian-wages-vs-inflation”.
Related data: median pay and take-home in Australian salary statistics, the underlying wage growth by industry and state, or the full per-occupation breakdowns in the salary by occupation hub.