ABS data: Australian median, average income revealed

New research from the ABS has revealed the income of a typical Australian and it’s less than you might think.

New research by the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed the income of a typical Australian.

The ABS reviewed personal income tax data from the 2020-21 financial year and found the median income in Australia was $54,890, pre-tax, up 4.9 per cent on the previous year.

Their assessment included all income from both employment and other sources, such as superannuation and investments, meaning Aussies like retirees and part-time workers were included in the count.

Aussie incomes were up by 4.9% in 2020-21.

The 2.5-year delay in confirming the figures was due to the ABS’s “incredibly comprehensive” review, according to ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Davis.

The data also looked at the median income — the middle value of all incomes — which is seen as more accurate because it is not skewed by very high or very low figures.

Employee income was the main source of income for most people (77.7 per cent), with a median amount of $56,547.

The second-biggest source of income was superannuation, which gave Aussies $25,983, on average, during the year.

Ashburton, WA had the highest median income in Australia. Picture: Instagram.

The mining area is a key part of the Pilbara in WA. Picture: iStock.

10 suburbs with highest incomes

The ABS also analysed personal incomes by region to determine the suburbs where Aussies earned the most.

The highest median personal incomes tended to be in mining towns, where workers often earned twice as much as the typical Aussie.

While these mining towns took out positions one to six, the final places to round out the top 10 were suburbs in Sydney’s north or east.

1. Ashburton, WA – $105,655
2. Roxby Downs, SA – $103,653
3. Peppermint Grove, WA – $96,684
4. Port Hedland, WA – $93,230
5. Weipa, Queensland – $91,494
6. East Pilbara, WA – $89,562
7. Woollahra, NSW – $84,255
8. North Sydney, NSW – $82,706
9. Mosman, NSW – $78,408
10. Lane Cove, NSW – $78,323

State-by-state, the ACT recorded the highest median total income at $71,093 pre-tax, while Tasmania had the lowest at $50,130.

NSW residents had a median income of $55,854, while for Victorians it was $54,088 and Queenslanders, $53,643.