Salaries · Australia · Updated October 2026
What an employee really costs in Australia
Superannuation adds 12% on top of wages for an Australian employee. Pay for office and digital roles is high by global standards: median full-time earnings are $1,850 a week for graphic and web designers and $2,537 for software and applications programmers (Jobs and Skills Australia, ABS data, May 2025).
Example: one virtual / administrative assistant, full-time
165 hours a month, across the published wage range
Per month
Monthly total$2,894–$6,246
First year$34,728–$74,955
- Payroll tax applies only above a state threshold; workers' compensation varies by state and industry. Neither is included.
- Australia pay: Jobs and Skills Australia, occupation profile 'Personal Assistants' (ANZSCO 5211) (May 2025); PayScale Australia, 'Administrative Assistant' hourly pay page (updated Oct 4, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Converted at 1 USD = 1.426 AUD (Bank of England, daily spot exchange rates against US Dollars (Australian Dollar per US$1), rate for 22 Oct 2026).
- business.gov.au, Superannuation. Checked Oct 2026.
Wages and total employer cost by role
Wages are the published range for full-time employees. The total adds the employer costs listed below, worked out the same way as in the calculator.
| Role | Wage per hour | Wages per year | Total cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual / administrative assistant | $15.66–$33.80 | $31,007–$66,924 | $34,728–$74,955 |
| Customer support / call center agent | $17.03–$25.19 | $33,719–$49,876 | $37,766–$55,861 |
| Bookkeeper / accounting clerk | $17.67–$29.42 | $34,987–$58,252 | $39,185–$65,242 |
| Digital marketing specialist | $19.51–$35.83 | $38,630–$70,943 | $43,265–$79,457 |
| Social media manager | $15.32–$26.72 | $30,334–$52,906 | $33,974–$59,254 |
| Graphic designer | $18.09–$34.13 | $35,818–$67,577 | $40,116–$75,687 |
| Web developer | $20.22–$37.25 | $40,036–$73,755 | $44,840–$82,606 |
| Software developer | $22.00–$46.81 | $43,560–$92,684 | $48,787–$103,806 |
What employers pay on top of wages
The line items in our numbers, and how each one is worked out:
| Item | How it's worked out | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Superannuation (12%) | 12% of qualifying earnings, on top of wages | business.gov.au, Superannuation. Checked Oct 2026. |
Other employer costs and rules
- Payroll tax, New South Wales, % of wages above the threshold (example state)5.45%Wages above the annual tax-free threshold of $1,200,000 (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027). Source: Revenue NSW, Payroll tax thresholds and rates. Checked Oct 2026.
- Payroll tax, Victoria, % of taxable wages above the threshold (example state)4.85%Taxable wages above the annual threshold of $1,000,000 (from 1 July 2025; monthly threshold $83,333). Source: State Revenue Office Victoria, Understanding payroll tax. Checked Oct 2026.
- Workers' compensation insurance premiumVariesVaries by state or territory scheme, industry classification and the employer's claims history. Source: icare NSW, Calculating the cost of your premium. Checked Oct 2026.
Wages by role, as published
| Role | Per hour (USD) | Per month, full-time | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual / administrative assistant | $15.66–$33.80 | $2,579–$5,566 | 3 published figures |
| Customer support / call center agent | $17.03–$25.19 | $2,804–$4,148 | 2 published figures |
| Bookkeeper / accounting clerk | $17.67–$29.42 | $2,909–$4,844 | 3 published figures |
| Digital marketing specialist | $19.51–$35.83 | $3,213–$5,901 | 2 published figures |
| Social media manager | $15.32–$26.72 | $2,522–$4,401 | 2 published figures |
| Graphic designer | $18.09–$34.13 | $2,980–$5,620 | 3 published figures |
| Web developer | $20.22–$37.25 | $3,330–$6,134 | 2 published figures |
| Software developer | $22.00–$46.81 | $3,622–$7,707 | 3 published figures |
Every figure behind the Australia numbers
Virtual / administrative assistant
- median · local employersA$1,832/week Jobs and Skills Australia, occupation profile 'Personal Assistants' (ANZSCO 5211) (May 2025). Checked Oct 2026. Snippet: 'Employed 50,900 ... Median weekly earnings $1,832' (JSA profile headline, ANZSCO 5211 Personal Assistants; data: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report). The full-time earnings row wasn't visible in the snippet.
- averageA$27.54/hr PayScale Australia, 'Administrative Assistant' hourly pay page (updated Oct 4, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base hourly pay from 985 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentileA$22.34–A$33.93/hr PayScale Australia, 'Administrative Assistant' hourly pay page (updated Oct 4, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base hourly pay, 10th to 90th percentile (median A$27.54), 985 self-reported salary profiles
Personal assistants (ANZSCO 5211) is the closest official group to an executive or virtual assistant; PayScale's administrative assistant title is more junior.
Customer support / call center agent
- averageA$59,719/year PayScale Australia, 'Customer Service Representative (CSR)' salary page (updated Oct 5, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base salary from 574 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentileA$48,000–A$71,000/year PayScale Australia, 'Customer Service Representative (CSR)' salary page (updated Oct 5, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base salary, 10th to 90th percentile (shown as A$48k to A$71k, median A$60k), 574 self-reported salary profiles
No official figure collected: the Jobs and Skills Australia profile for call or contact centre workers (ANZSCO 5411) couldn't be loaded. ABS major-group figures for clerical and administrative workers are in extra.
Bookkeeper / accounting clerk
- median · local employersA$1,400/week Jobs and Skills Australia, occupation profile 'Bookkeepers' (ANZSCO 5512) (May 2025). Checked Oct 2026. Snippet (as shown by the search tool): JSA profile headline median weekly earnings $1,400 for Bookkeepers (ANZSCO 5512), source ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report; the full-time earnings row wasn't visible in the snippet.
- averageA$32.21/hr PayScale Australia, 'Bookkeeper' hourly pay page (updated Sep 29, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base hourly pay from 488 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentileA$25.20–A$41.96/hr PayScale Australia, 'Bookkeeper' hourly pay page (updated Sep 29, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base hourly pay, 10th to 90th percentile (median A$32.21), 488 self-reported salary profiles
JSA's headline figure and PayScale's hourly figure measure different things (weekly earnings vs base hourly pay).
Digital marketing specialist
- averageA$74,322/year PayScale Australia, 'Digital Marketing Specialist' salary page (updated Jul 8, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base salary from 119 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentileA$55,000–A$101,000/year PayScale Australia, 'Digital Marketing Specialist' salary page (updated Jul 8, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base salary, 10th to 90th percentile (shown as A$55k to A$101k, median A$74k), 119 self-reported salary profiles
No official figure collected: the Jobs and Skills Australia profile for advertising and marketing professionals (ANZSCO 2251) couldn't be loaded.
Social media manager
- averageA$29.56/hr PayScale Australia, 'Social Media Manager' pay page (updated Sep 28, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base hourly pay from 141 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentileA$21.85–A$38.12/hr PayScale Australia, 'Social Media Manager' pay page (updated Sep 28, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base hourly pay, 10th to 90th percentile (median A$29.56), 141 self-reported salary profiles
ANZSCO has no separate social media occupation, so there's no official figure for this title.
Graphic designer
- median · local employersA$1,850/week Jobs and Skills Australia, occupation profile 'Graphic and Web Designers, and Illustrators' (ANZSCO 2324) (May 2025 (ABS data)). Checked Oct 2026. Snippet: 'Median full-time earnings per week $1,850 $1,852' (occupation, then all occupations). ANZSCO 2324 Graphic and Web Designers, and Illustrators; earnings from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours.
- averageA$66,344/year PayScale Australia, 'Graphic Designer' salary page (updated Sep 30, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base salary from 789 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentileA$51,000–A$83,000/year PayScale Australia, 'Graphic Designer' salary page (updated Sep 30, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base salary, 10th to 90th percentile (shown as A$51k to A$83k, median A$66k), 789 self-reported salary profiles
The JSA group also includes web designers and illustrators.
Web developer
- averageA$75,820/year PayScale Australia, 'Web Developer' salary page (updated Sep 28, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base salary from 133 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentileA$57,000–A$105,000/year PayScale Australia, 'Web Developer' salary page (updated Sep 28, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base salary, 10th to 90th percentile (shown as A$57k to A$105k, median A$76k), 133 self-reported salary profiles
No official figure collected: the Jobs and Skills Australia profile for multimedia specialists and web developers (ANZSCO 2612) couldn't be loaded.
Software developer
- median · local employersA$2,537/week Jobs and Skills Australia, occupation profile 'Software and Applications Programmers' (ANZSCO 2613) (May 2025). Checked Oct 2026. Snippet: 'Median full-time earnings per week $2,537 $1,852' (occupation, then all occupations). ANZSCO 2613 Software and Applications Programmers, all seniority levels; data: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025.
- averageA$80,319/year PayScale Australia, 'Software Developer' salary page (updated Sep 29, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Average base salary from 415 self-reported salary profiles
- 10th–90th percentileA$62,000–A$117,000/year PayScale Australia, 'Software Developer' salary page (updated Sep 29, 2026). Checked Oct 2026. Base salary, 10th to 90th percentile (shown as A$62k to A$117k, median A$80k), 415 self-reported salary profiles
The two sources differ a lot: PayScale's self-reported base salaries sit well below JSA's official full-time weekly median for this group.
For reference
- National minimum wage, per hourA$26.44/hourbusiness.gov.au, Employees' pay, leave and entitlements. Checked Oct 2026.
- National minimum wage, per week (38-hour week)A$1,005/weekbusiness.gov.au, Employees' pay, leave and entitlements. Checked Oct 2026.
- Median weekly total cash earnings, all full-time employees, May 2025A$1,887/weekAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2025. Checked Oct 2026.
- 1st quartile weekly total cash earnings, all full-time employees, May 2025A$1,424/weekAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2025. Checked Oct 2026.
- 3rd quartile weekly total cash earnings, all full-time employees, May 2025A$2,560/weekAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2025. Checked Oct 2026.
- Median full-time earnings per week, all occupations (Jobs and Skills Australia comparison figure, ABS data May 2025)A$1,852/weekJobs and Skills Australia, occupation profile (ANZSCO 2613), all-occupations comparison. Checked Oct 2026.
Why an employee costs more than the salary
- Role and skill level: professional roles such as software development earn far more than clerical and administrative roles in ABS data.
- State: payroll tax rates and thresholds differ by state, as do workers' compensation schemes.
- Awards and agreements: most employees are covered by an award that sets minimum pay for their industry and type of work (business.gov.au).
- Data source: official medians cover all experience levels, while self-reported salary sites such as PayScale often show lower figures for the same title.
FAQ
How much does it cost to hire an employee in Australia?
Across all full-time employees, the ABS median was $1,887 a week in May 2025. By role, Jobs and Skills Australia's profiles show median weekly earnings of $1,832 for personal assistants and $1,400 for bookkeepers, and median full-time earnings of $2,537 a week for software and applications programmers. Employer costs come on top.
What does an employer pay on top of salary in Australia?
A 12% Superannuation Guarantee on qualifying earnings, paid on top of wages and due each payday since 1 July 2026 (business.gov.au). Payroll tax applies above a state threshold, for example 5.45% above $1,200,000 a year in New South Wales for 2026-27 (Revenue NSW) and 4.85% above $1,000,000 in Victoria. Workers' compensation premiums vary by state scheme, industry and claims history. These are cost figures, not tax advice.
What is the minimum wage in Australia in 2026?
$26.44 an hour, or $1004.90 for a 38-hour week, per business.gov.au. Most employees are also covered by an award that sets minimum pay for their industry and type of work.
How much does a software developer cost in Australia?
$2,537 a week is the median full-time pay for software and applications programmers (Jobs and Skills Australia, ABS data, May 2025). PayScale's self-reported average base salary is AU$80,319 a year (updated Sep 2026), which shows how far official and self-reported figures can differ.
Run your own numbers
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