Earnings and working conditions

In September 2024, total wages and salaries paid by employers:

• increased to $103,723 million
• increased by 3.9% or $3,855 million in the month from August 2024
• increased by 6.3% or $6,192 million in the year from September 2023

During 2021-22:

• Total personal income was $1.19 trillion
• Median personal income was $55,062, up 4.0% on 2020-21
• Employee income comprised 82.5% of total personal income

• In June 2024, 416,500 people had a job in Labour supply services, and for 359,100 (86.2%) it was their main job.
• 2.8% of all employed people had a job in Labour supply services in June 2024.
• 81.2% of labour hire workers worked full-time (August 2022).
• 83.6% of labour hire workers did not have paid leave entitlements, and 18.0% would prefer to work more hours (August 2022).
• In 2020-21, 62.0% of people in Labour supply services were men, and 23.7% were Labourers.

In the June quarter 2024:

• 52 disputes occurred.
• 23,800 employees were involved and 21,900 working days lost.
• disputes occurred in 6 industries and in 6 states and territories.

During the year ended June 2024, there were 193 disputes and a total of 120,000 working days lost.

Estimates for average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults (seasonally adjusted):

• Increased by 4.6% annually to $1,923.40 in May 2024.
• For males were $2,214.70 (public), and $1,978.00 (private).
• For females were $1,995.30 (public), and $1,698.40 (private).

• Median weekly earnings were $1,300.00 for all employees, $1,509.00 for males and $1,130.00 for females.
• Occupations with the highest hourly earnings were Managers ($67.20) and Professionals ($60.60).
• Individual arrangement was the most common method of setting pay (38.7%), followed by collective agreement (34.0%).

In August 2023:

• Median employee earnings was $1,300 per week, up $52 (4.2%) since August 2022.
• 2.7 million casual employees (22% of employees, 19% of all employed).
• 37% of employed people regularly worked from home, down from 40% in Aug 2021.
• 1.0 million independent contractors (7.5% of employed).

• 2.7 million casual employees (22% of employees, 19% of all employed).
• 1.0 million independent contractors (7.5% of employed).
• 2.9% of employees were employed on a fixed-term contract.
• 37% of employed people regularly worked from home, down from 40% in Aug 2021.
• 44% of employees were entitled to paid parental leave.

• Median employee earnings was $1,300 per week, up $52 (4.2%) since August 2022.
• Median hourly earnings was $39.50 per hour, up $2.50 since August 2022. 

• 7 million people (7,095,103) were working full-time and 4 million people (3,962,550) were working part-time in the week before the Census.
• The median hours worked in Australia was 38 hours per week.
• Health Care and Social Assistance was the largest employing industry in Australia (14.5 per cent of the workforce), followed by Retail Trade (9.1 per cent) and Construction (8.9 per cent).
• The top three reported occupations were Sales Assistants (General) (514,084), Registered Nurses (262,742) and General Clerks (244,849).
• The national median personal income was $805 per week. This was a $143 increase since 2016. This included the adult population from 15 years to over 85 years, including those who are unemployed or retired.
• There were over 9.6 million people earning below the national median personal income or earning no income.

• 497,300 people had a work-related injury or illness (3.5% of people who worked at some time during the year).
• The most common cause of injury or illness was 'Lifting, pushing, pulling or bending' (24%).
• 66% had time off as a result of the injury or illness.
• 31% received workers compensation for the injury or illness.

• 12.5% of employees (1.4 million) were trade union members.
• Since 1992, the proportion of employees who were trade union members has fallen from 41% to 12.5%.
• The Education and training industry (30%) and the Professionals occupation group (19%) had the highest rates of trade union membership.