Australians earn an average of just under $2000 per week, according to new data.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed the weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults was $1888.80 in November 2023.
This is an annual increase of 4.5 per cent, or $81 per week, ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said.
”The annual increase of 4.5 per cent was the strongest since May 2013, other than a brief spike in average earnings early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Average earnings growth was supported by increases in both the private sector, which rose by 4.4 per cent, and public sector, up by 4.9 per cent.”
Average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time workers was highest in Western Australia ($2108) and the Australian Capital Territory ($2080), and lowest in Tasmania ($1670) and South Australia ($1735).
Workers in the mining industry remained the highest paid on average, at $2952 a week for full-time employees. This was followed by those in information media and telecommunications ($2406) and professional, scientific and technical services ($2223).
The lowest paid full-time workers on average were in the accommodation and food services ($1397) and retail trade ($1435) industries.
The recent rise in average earnings reflects strong wage growth, with the Wage Price Index rising by 4.2 per cent in the year to December quarter 2023.
It was the highest annual increase in underlying wage growth since March quarter 2009.
Average earnings for part-time employees also saw strong growth over the past year, reflected in average earnings for all employees rising by 3.9 per cent in November 2023.
