Average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults was $1,923.40 in May 2024, according to new seasonally adjusted figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Kate Lamb, ABS head of labour statistics, said: "Average weekly earnings growth over the six months to May 2024 was 1.8 per cent, around two thirds of the 2.8 per cent growth we saw over the six months to November 2023.
"While growth in average weekly earnings slowed over the first half of 2024, we still saw relatively strong annual growth to May 2024 of 4.6 per cent, or an extra $85 a week. This was slightly higher than the 4.5 per cent or $81 in the year to November 2023," Ms Lamb said.
"This growth was underpinned by rises in both the private and public sectors, which both grew by 4.6 per cent annually."
The gender pay gap in average weekly ordinary full-time earnings is the most commonly cited of the gender pay gap measures. In May 2024, it narrowed further to 11.5 per cent, down from 12.0 per cent in November 2023.
"This was the fourth six-monthly drop in the gender pay gap in a row, down to a new record low of 11.5 per cent. The narrowing in the gap in May 2024 was underpinned by pay increases in the female-dominated Education and training industry," Ms Lamb said.
| Males ($) | Females ($) | Persons ($) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May-14 | 1,560.50 | 1,276.70 | 1,454.10 |
| Nov-14 | 1,587.50 | 1,290.20 | 1,477.00 |
| May-15 | 1,591.60 | 1,309.80 | 1,483.10 |
| Nov-15 | 1,603.60 | 1,327.60 | 1,500.50 |
| May-16 | 1,613.50 | 1,352.10 | 1,516.00 |
| Nov-16 | 1,631.90 | 1,370.30 | 1,533.40 |
| May-17 | 1,637.20 | 1,386.60 | 1,543.20 |
| Nov-17 | 1,665.00 | 1,410.80 | 1,569.60 |
| May-18 | 1,677.10 | 1,433.40 | 1,585.30 |
| Nov-18 | 1,696.50 | 1,456.50 | 1,605.50 |
| May-19 | 1,727.70 | 1,485.50 | 1,634.80 |
| Nov-19 | 1,750.80 | 1,508.30 | 1,658.40 |
| May-20 | 1,812.00 | 1,558.40 | 1,713.90 |
| Nov-20 | 1,804.20 | 1,562.00 | 1,711.60 |
| May-21 | 1,837.00 | 1,575.50 | 1,737.10 |
| Nov-21 | 1,846.50 | 1,591.20 | 1,748.40 |
| May-22 | 1,872.90 | 1,609.00 | 1,769.80 |
| Nov-22 | 1,907.10 | 1,653.60 | 1,807.70 |
| May-23 | 1,938.30 | 1,686.00 | 1,838.10 |
| Nov-23 | 1,982.80 | 1,744.80 | 1,888.80 |
| May-24 | 2,014.30 | 1,782.80 | 1,923.40 |
Average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time workers was highest in the Australian Capital Territory ($2,132) and Western Australia ($2,094), and lowest in Tasmania ($1,711) and South Australia ($1,777).
Workers in the Mining industry remained the highest paid workers on average, at $3,015 a week for full-time employees. This was followed by those in Information media and telecommunications ($2,437) and Financial and insurance services ($2,283).
The lowest paid full-time workers on average were in the Accommodation and food services ($1,421) and Retail trade ($1,454) industries.
| Industry | Persons ($) | Males ($) | Females ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining | 3,015.30 | 3,107.00 | 2,651.20 |
| Manufacturing | 1,706.70 | 1,746.30 | 1,562.00 |
| Electricity, gas, water & waste services | 2,243.80 | 2,307.10 | 2,033.30 |
| Construction | 1,821.80 | 1,840.00 | 1,701.30 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,790.60 | 1,863.80 | 1,625.20 |
| Retail trade | 1,454.50 | 1,503.70 | 1,386.70 |
| Accommodation & food services | 1,421.00 | 1,494.30 | 1,324.10 |
| Transport, postal & warehousing | 1,893.20 | 1,930.00 | 1,753.60 |
| Information media & telecommunications | 2,437.20 | 2,582.90 | 2,144.00 |
| Financial & insurance services | 2,283.20 | 2,497.90 | 2,048.20 |
| Rental, hiring & real estate services | 1,789.60 | 1,911.00 | 1,630.00 |
| Professional, scientific & technical services | 2,245.40 | 2,448.60 | 1,926.90 |
| Administrative & support services | 1,723.70 | 1,857.40 | 1,513.40 |
| Public administration & safety | 2,036.10 | 2,078.80 | 1,984.80 |
| Education & training | 2,026.40 | 2,127.10 | 1,974.60 |
| Health care & social assistance | 1,902.40 | 2,226.80 | 1,765.10 |
| Arts & recreation services | 1,797.30 | 1,931.20 | 1,616.90 |
| Other services | 1,457.80 | 1,497.30 | 1,401.00 |
| Total all industries | 1,923.40 | 2,014.30 | 1,782.80 |
Average earnings for part-time employees also saw strong growth over the past year, reflected in average earnings for all employees rising by 5.8 per cent in May 2024.
"The gender pay gap for all employees, including both full-time and part-time employees, is much larger than the full-time measure, with women more likely to work part-time. The gender pay gap for all employees also dropped to a record-low of 27.7 per cent in May 2024, down from 28.0 per cent in November 2023," Ms Lamb said.
The ABS would like to thank businesses in Australia for their continued support in responding to our surveys.
