Hundreds of Australian workers make grim salary admission

A stark money admission being made by a concerning number of Australian workers has highlighted a major trend as we continue into 2025.

The cost-of-living crisis has had a major impact of millions of hardworking Australians over the past 12 months.

Rising grocery prices, skyrocketing inflation, soaring rents and rates being held for months on end has seen people having to tighten their belts and drastically cut down on non-essential spending just to get by.

This means that people have become increasingly anxious about their salaries and making sure they are reaching their full earning potential within their roles.

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Ahead of the launch of news.com.au’s Great Aussie Debate - a new survey that will reveal what Australians really think about all the hot topics of 2025, from the lighthearted to the serious - we asked people when they last received a pay rise that they were happy with.

The results showed that, while some Aussies are content with their most recent pay increase, a shocking one in five say they have never felt satisfied with one.

Of the 1870 people surveyed, 17 per cent said they have never felt happy with a pay rise, while a further 15 per cent said the last time they were satisfied with a salary increase was more than 10 years ago and 9 per cent put the time frame between five and 10 years.

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Just over one in four respondents said their last satisfactory raise was between one and four years ago.

Women were more likely (20 per cent) to have never been happy with a pay increase, compared to 14 per cent of men.

Gen Z respondents were the most likely (34 per cent) to be satisfied with a pay rise received within the last 12 months, while 23 per cent of all Aussies who completed the survey chose this option.

The data showed that the employees who were most likely to be happy with heir most recent pay bump were sales workers, labourers and managers.

News.com.au also hit the streets of Sydney to see how people were feeling about their salaries in 2025.

One woman revealed the last time she received a pay rise was two years ago, which she revealed was “two jobs ago”.

“Pretty s**t,” she said.

Another worker revealed that every time she has received a pay rise it has just been in line with the cost of living and “not really enough to change the way I am living”.

However, not everyone was feeling uninspired about their pay, with one woman saying that in the five years she had worked at her current job, she had received a pay rise each year.

“It is not something that was expected so it was always a surprise. There was never any feelings that it wasn’t enough or not sufficient,” she said.

One boss who manages multiple employees told news.com.au that whatever staff had asked for in terms of pay “we have pretty much given them”.

“I think we were paying people quite a lot. We were paying very high to begin with and that’s why our employees have been with us, a lot of them, for over 10 years,” he said.

News.com.au also asked Aussies if they were transparent about their salary when in a relationship, with a whopping 82 per cent of respondents confirming their partner knows exactly how much they earn.

Of the more than 1800 respondents, 14 per cent said their partner has a rough idea of what they earn, but doesn’t know the exact amount, and just 3 per cent said they don’t disclose such details to a partner because it is “none of their business”.

The data showed that married couples (86 per cent) were more inclined to be transparent about their salaries, compared to 59 per cent of people who are dating.

Full-time workers exhibit greater transparency, with 82 per cent reporting their partner knows their salary, compared to 76 per cent of part-time workers and 74 per cent of casual workers.

According to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statics, the average yearly salary - calculated by dividing total earnings by the total number of people - has now hit $103,812.

The median salary - or the “middle” earnings figure - for full time workers is $88,920.

Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker found half of Australian workers, including full time, part time and casual staff, earn between $10,000 to $49,000 yearly, and 32 per cent earn between $50,000 and $99,000.

Almost one in five earn above $100,000.

A surprising number of Aussies say they have never been happy with a pay rise. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

Despite data showing the cost of living having a detrimental impact of people’s ability to save, a recent Finder survey revealed one in 10 workers were too afraid to request a pay rise.

Women (12 per cent) were almost three times more likely than men to admit they were scared to ask for a pay bump.

Speaking to news.com.au, Finder personal finance expert Sarah Megginson said soaring inflation has put significant pressure on everyday households, with a pay rise being a “welcome cushion” against rising expenses.

“But many people are intimidated or feel awkward about asking for a pay rise or discussing salary adjustments with their employers,” Ms Megginson said.

“If you haven’t had any increase to your current salary in the last couple of years and you’re not considering a job change – which is one of the most effective ways to boost your income – you may want to be proactive about raising the issue with your boss.”

She suggested first gathering data around the average salaries for similar roles to your own to use as a starting point as a discussion with your manager.

“Also, approach the discussion as exactly that – a discussion. It doesn’t need to be tense or become a battle. You’re simply asking a question: Is there any scope to review my salary? The worst they can do is say no, and you’re no worse off than where you started,” she said.

Originally published as Hundreds of Australian workers make grim salary admission