Your income percentile tells you what percentage of Australian earners you earn more than. If you are at the 70th percentile, you earn more than 70% of all Australian income earners.
The table below shows income percentiles for Australian individual earners based on ATO Tax Statistics (FY2022–23, the most recent available) and ABS data.
Key Takeaways
- The median individual income in Australia is approximately $62,400/year (all earners including part-time)
- Among full-time workers only, the median is approximately $84,000/year
- Earning $100,000+ puts you in roughly the top 20% of all individual earners
- Earning $200,000+ puts you in the top 3%
- Income percentile data is from the ATO and ABS — it includes wages, business income, and investment income
Income Percentile Table — All Australian Earners (FY2022–23)
| Annual Income | Percentile | You Earn More Than… |
|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | ~12th | 12% of earners |
| $30,000 | ~22nd | 22% of earners |
| $40,000 | ~33rd | 33% of earners |
| $50,000 | ~44th | 44% of earners |
| $60,000 | ~54th | 54% of earners |
| $70,000 | ~62nd | 62% of earners |
| $80,000 | ~70th | 70% of earners |
| $90,000 | ~75th | 75% of earners |
| $100,000 | ~80th | 80% of earners |
| $120,000 | ~86th | 86% of earners |
| $150,000 | ~92nd | 92% of earners |
| $180,000 | ~95th | 95% of earners |
| $200,000 | ~97th | 97% of earners |
| $250,000 | ~98.5th | 98.5% of earners |
| $500,000+ | ~99.7th | 99.7% of earners |
Source: ATO Taxation Statistics 2022–23. Includes all individuals who lodged a tax return. Percentiles are approximate as ATO publishes banded data.
Income Percentile — Full-Time Workers Only
If you work full-time, you should compare yourself against the full-time worker distribution rather than all earners (which includes part-time and casual workers):
| Annual Salary | Full-Time Percentile |
|---|---|
| $50,000 | ~10th |
| $65,000 | ~25th |
| $75,000 | ~38th |
| $84,000 | ~50th (median) |
| $95,000 | ~62nd |
| $100,000 | ~67th |
| $120,000 | ~80th |
| $150,000 | ~91st |
| $200,000 | ~97th |
Source: ABS Average Weekly Earnings and Characteristics of Employment survey, 2024.
Income Percentile by State
High-income states like ACT and WA have higher median wages, which shifts percentiles. What counts as a “70th percentile” income varies by state:
| State | Median Full-Time Salary | Top 20% Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| ACT | ~$100,000 | ~$150,000+ |
| WA | ~$98,000 | ~$145,000+ |
| NSW | ~$92,000 | ~$140,000+ |
| VIC | ~$88,000 | ~$135,000+ |
| QLD | ~$86,000 | ~$130,000+ |
| SA | ~$80,000 | ~$120,000+ |
| TAS | ~$78,000 | ~$118,000+ |
State figures are approximate. The national percentile table above is most commonly used for comparison.
Income Percentile by Age Group
Earnings follow a predictable life-cycle pattern — peaking in the 35–50 age bracket:
| Age | Median Annual Income (Full-Time) | Top 20% Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 20–24 | ~$55,000 | ~$75,000 |
| 25–29 | ~$72,000 | ~$100,000 |
| 30–34 | ~$85,000 | ~$120,000 |
| 35–44 | ~$95,000 | ~$145,000 |
| 45–54 | ~$92,000 | ~$140,000 |
| 55–64 | ~$88,000 | ~$130,000 |
| 65+ | ~$58,000 | ~$90,000 |
Source: ABS Characteristics of Employment 2024.
How to Calculate Your Income Percentile
To find your exact percentile:
- Use your total taxable income — wages + investment income + business income + other assessable income
- Compare against the ATO national table (above) for all earners, or the ABS table for full-time workers
- Super contributions (concessional) are not included in taxable income, so salary sacrifice reduces your percentile figure
Your percentile is not fixed — it changes as your income changes and as the overall distribution shifts year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentile is $100,000 in Australia?
$100,000 places you at approximately the 80th percentile of all individual tax filers — meaning you earn more than around 80% of Australians. Among full-time workers only, $100,000 is at approximately the 67th percentile.
What is top 1% income in Australia?
Based on ATO Tax Statistics, the top 1% of Australian individual earners have taxable income above approximately $350,000–$400,000/year. This includes wages, investment income, and business income.
What is the median income in Australia?
The median individual income for all earners (including part-time) is approximately $62,400/year. For full-time workers only, the median is approximately $84,000/year. These figures are from ABS Characteristics of Employment 2024.
Does superannuation count towards income percentile?
No. Salary sacrificed super contributions reduce your taxable income and therefore reduce your reported income percentile. If you earn $100,000 gross but salary sacrifice $10,000 into super, your taxable income for percentile comparison purposes is $90,000.
Related Guides
- Average Salary Australia 2025–26
- What Is a Good Salary in Australia?
- Income Percentile by City
- Good Salary in Sydney
Income percentile data sourced from ATO Taxation Statistics FY2022–23 and ABS Characteristics of Employment 2024. Figures are estimates — the ATO publishes banded data, so exact percentiles are interpolated. This is general information only.