Question 1

How accurate is this salary benchmark data?

Accepted Answer

This tool uses real Australian government data from ATO Taxation Statistics (2023-24) and ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), adjusted to FY2026-27 (estimate) using the ABS Wage Price Index. Unlike recruiter salary guides which tend to skew high, this data reflects what Australians actually earn as reported to the tax office.

Question 2

What do the salary percentiles mean?

Accepted Answer

Percentiles show how salaries are distributed across all workers in an occupation. The 10th percentile (p10) means 10% of workers earn less than this amount. The median (50th percentile) is the middle — half earn more, half earn less. The 90th percentile means only 10% of workers earn more. The gap between p10 and p90 shows the full salary range for a role.

Question 3

Why is there a gender pay gap in my occupation?

Accepted Answer

The gender pay gap shown is the difference between male and female median earnings within each occupation, sourced from ATO data. It reflects actual reported taxable income differences, which can be influenced by factors including hours worked, seniority distribution, industry sector, and workplace policies. Australia's national gender pay gap is approximately 21% based on full-time average weekly earnings.

Question 4

How much does a dental assistant earn in Australia?

Accepted Answer

Dental assistants (ATO occupation: dental nurse or assistant) have a median taxable income of $47,787 a year, based on ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24 (WPI-adjusted to FY2026-27, 35,614 taxpayers). The median sits below the full-time award floor because many dental assistants work part-time — the minimum under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award is $29.11 per hour (Level 3 of the award's dental assistant stream, from 1 July 2026), about $57,521 a year for full-time work.

Question 5

How much does a social worker earn in Australia?

Accepted Answer

Social workers have a median taxable income of $93,307 a year, based on ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24 (WPI-adjusted to FY2026-27, 54,565 taxpayers). The legal minimum for a qualified social worker under the SCHADS Award is $40.49 per hour — about $80,008 a year full-time — so typical earnings run roughly $13,300 above the award floor.

Question 6

How much does a bus driver earn in Australia?

Accepted Answer

Bus and coach drivers have a median taxable income of $72,392 a year, based on ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24 (WPI-adjusted to FY2026-27, 42,818 taxpayers). The award floor under the Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award is $27.34 per hour — about $54,024 a year full-time — with penalty rates for weekends and early starts lifting actual earnings above that.

Question 7

How much does a lab technician earn in Australia?

Accepted Answer

Medical laboratory technicians (ATO occupation: medical technician) have a median taxable income of $64,626 a year, based on ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24 (WPI-adjusted to FY2026-27, 38,191 taxpayers). The minimum for a lab technician under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award is $30.45 per hour, about $60,169 a year full-time.

Question 8

How many occupations does this tool cover?

Accepted Answer

This tool covers 429 occupations classified under ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations). Each occupation includes salary percentiles (p10, p25, median, p75, p90), taxpayer count, gender pay gap data where available, and industry classification. Data covers the vast majority of the Australian workforce.

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