Average salaries from Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show what you really need to earn to be considered rich in Australia

An Australian now needs to earn more than $95,581 a year to be an above-average income earner – with men now typically on six-figure salaries.

The average, full-time salary, before bonuses and overtime, rose by 3.9 per cent in the year to May, up from $92,030 before tax, the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed on Thursday.

Men in full-time work saw their average salary rise by 3.5 per cent to $100,792, hitting six figures for the first time.

Female pay climbed by a bigger 4.6 per cent to $87,714, thanks to big increases in aged care and hospitality jobs where there are more women. 

Of Australia’s 18 employment categories, seven of them now have average, full-time salaries in the six figures. 

Mining had the most generous average, annual pay of $148,408 for both men and women in the sector but this rose marginally to $152,973 when only male wages were included.

Men on mine sites getting overtime and bonuses were typically getting $157,810.

Information technology professionals were second on the list with average salaries of $120,531 before bonuses for men and women.

Professional and technical services was in third place with average salaries of $112,887, followed closely by finance and insurance on $112,304 and electricity, gas, water and waste services on $112,081.

Public sector professionals, classified as public administration and safety, made $102,154, ahead of teachers and lecturers, in the education and training category, on $101,384. 

In the five-figure range, the health, care and social assistance category had an average salary of $94,000, slightly ahead of construction on $93,746 and transport, post and warehousing on $93,584.

Then there were those getting less than $90,000 a year including property managers in the rental, hiring and real estate segment on $89,424 a year.

This put them marginally ahead of wholesale trade on $87,620, arts and recreation on $85,972, manufacturing on $84,817 and administrative support staff on $84,053.

Female-dominated occupations with more casual staff were at the bottom of the list with retail workers getting $71,952 and hospitality workers in accommodation and food services on $70,034.

When only female wages were considered, full-time retail salaries fell to $66,721 as hospitality pay dropped to $65,905. 

But both were still well above the full-time minimum wage of $45,906. 

Mining had the most generous average, annual pay of $148,408 for both men and women in the sector (pictured is a woman working on a Queensland coal mine)

Unemployment rose to 3.7 per cent in July, up from a 48-year low of 3.5 per cent in June as 14,600 jobs were lost.

The news was revealed two days after official data showed the wage price index falling to an annual pace 3.6 per cent in the June quarter, down from 3.7 per cent previously, marking the first fall since 2020.

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s 12 interest rate rises since May 2022 appear to be slowing the economy and diluting the prospect of workers getting big pay rises. 

AMP deputy chief economist Diana Mousina said unemployment was likely to keep rising from now.

‘This tightness in the labour market is unlikely to persist,’ she said.