I think it depends where you live. Most people I know are far above. Hubby and I are one of the lowest income earners of our close friendship group plus youngest (low 30's) but our joint income fte is about $260k-$270k. Most of our close friends are above and I don't think I'd know many families (maybe one hands worth) with joint income less than $100k but in that case it would be because only one person works whereas I know a few couples with over $300k joint income.
i dont know anyone who earns that much either..what sort of jobs do all of these people have to be earning that much? most i know earn between $750-$950 a week.
Most of my close friends are accountants, lawyers, engineers and cfos (hubby and I are also in these occupations). Other friends are nurses, tradies or directors I.e. most of them have had tertiary education (not too sure if that makes a difference). i'd say the area where my friends and I live in probably has a higher income than the average in WA.
I know but the person said that most people they know make $40k ish whereas most people I know don't hence why I said it is probably due to where we live. Maybe the area I live in (and others) just have a few more higher income earners which then offsets against the people they know.
Yes - thats the point, the average does not represent the average household that we know. the high earners offset all of the people earning way below it.
People tend to spend more time with people who are in similar jobs, therefor who earn similar to them. It makes it look like a lot of people earn the same..
If you work as an accountant, high end sales, lawyer, doctor you hang out with similar people. Also people within the same family tend to have similar jobs.
Yes I get that. I was just saying it's not the average in Australia and while the person may hang out with people with those jobs that doesn't mean they're common jobs. I earn a lot less and live quite comfortably. My kids go to private school and we never go without. We're also not in debt. I don't even know what we'd do with $100, 000 a year lol. I live in a place with cheap rent though so I think that's the main factor.
100% right. All our friends are earning similar to us, give or take. I don't know how it ends up like that... maybe common interests, work friends, uni friends etc
This is a good link, but still skewed to capital city wages. We run a small business in regional Qld and our admin staff earn about $50k pa, our tradies about $65k. As the owners we earn about the same. We don't have any debt and we live within our means (budget, budget, budget). Most of our staff live fortnight to fortnight. Some own homes and some rent. We have friends who are nurses and teachers and tradies. Only those who work for the government earn more - more holidays, higher hourly rates, better sick/family leave inclusions, etc. We happen to live in a suburb that has a lot of professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc) and they all definitely earn MUCH more than our cohort (some over $1m pa), but their lives are no happier :)
Yes the average is bull because they don't take into account what MOST people earn per year but instead just take everyone's income and put it all together then go to the middle.
We live in victoria and my husband earns $76,000 a year which i thought was a good income but wr are still struggling and living fortnight to fortnight what are we doing wrong. Paying the arse out of rent so a big chunk of it is that but surly we should be doing ok BUT WE'RE NOT HEEEELP
My partner earns about $47k a year. We live comfortably on this because we live in a cheap area. We are renting a 4 bedroom house for $260 a week. Our town we live in is not one of the capital cities but it has everything we need like a shopping centre, hospital, parks, cinemas etc. We don't take out loans so are not in debt. We don't eat out much and there are a lot of free events on here for the kids so we don't spend a lot going out. Our kids go to one of the local private schools here and we still live comfortably. I get why some people who earn double what we do would struggle depending on the area they live in as rent in some places is utterly ridiculous! The downside to us living here though is jobs are scarce. I don't know what I'd do if my partner lost his.
If I lived in Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney we would really struggle because most of our income would go to rent. But we don't really need to live in those places as we have everything we need here.
Our mortgage is 450 a week our car payments are 190 a week and cs is 250.00 a week and my partner earns about 800.00 take home on the weeks he earns a wage and I earn about 300.00 per week we have almost exchusted all our savings and have a 4mth old please tell me how you are suppose to live on the average wage
My husband earns $55k pa workinh full time (40hrs/wk). I am currently a SAHM but when I was working full time I earned $45k pa. We can get by on his wage alone though we are very strict with our budget.
My partner and I have 11 children between us not all at home of course but last yeah we only earnt 54 k for all of us. I work in payroll for a company that employs 50 people and not many of those will earn more than me . This year I will earn 46 K most of our employees are paid above award. The people earning huge money are increasing the average which is not a good indicator of what the real world is like.
Hubby about 90k and I'm on about 60k.
2 adults 2 kids plus 1 on the way and a cat.
We do ok. Not loaded as our mortgage repayments are quite high. But no other major debt.
We will see what happens when #3 gets here as to whether I go back to work or not.
My hubby works full time, I work 25 hours a week. Combined we earn about $75k. Luckily we live in a regional city- we wouldn't survive in Melbourne or Sydney
I'm on or above the average on $82K but I work minimum 50 hour weeks and rarely get holidays, my partner as a qualified tradie is on $48K for a 38 hour week.
33 Replies
About $75,000 full time.
WoW I never earnt any more that $40,000.00 in a year when I worked full time
Around 80000 in 2016 was average.
I've never been so lucky to be average
I've read around $70, 000 but most people I know earn about $45, 000-$50, 000 on average.
I think it depends where you live. Most people I know are far above. Hubby and I are one of the lowest income earners of our close friendship group plus youngest (low 30's) but our joint income fte is about $260k-$270k. Most of our close friends are above and I don't think I'd know many families (maybe one hands worth) with joint income less than $100k but in that case it would be because only one person works whereas I know a few couples with over $300k joint income.
Where do you live? I don't know anyone who earns over $100, 000 a year :/
Maybe because I'm only in my early 20's though.
Whereas most of the people I know are over $100k due to most of them working in the mines. It definitely depends on where you live !
i dont know anyone who earns that much either..what sort of jobs do all of these people have to be earning that much? most i know earn between $750-$950 a week.
Most of my close friends are accountants, lawyers, engineers and cfos (hubby and I are also in these occupations). Other friends are nurses, tradies or directors I.e. most of them have had tertiary education (not too sure if that makes a difference). i'd say the area where my friends and I live in probably has a higher income than the average in WA.
For us in Perth a lot of families earn a heap more than that due to the close proximity to the mines.
Ok but most people aren't lawyers or accountants etc, they aren't common jobs. The most common jobs are things like retail and factory workers.
I know but the person said that most people they know make $40k ish whereas most people I know don't hence why I said it is probably due to where we live. Maybe the area I live in (and others) just have a few more higher income earners which then offsets against the people they know.
Yeah it could be the area you live in. Even though most people you know earn that much it's certainly not average though.
Yes - thats the point, the average does not represent the average household that we know. the high earners offset all of the people earning way below it.
Yes I agree with you there
People tend to spend more time with people who are in similar jobs, therefor who earn similar to them. It makes it look like a lot of people earn the same..
If you work as an accountant, high end sales, lawyer, doctor you hang out with similar people. Also people within the same family tend to have similar jobs.
Yes I get that. I was just saying it's not the average in Australia and while the person may hang out with people with those jobs that doesn't mean they're common jobs. I earn a lot less and live quite comfortably. My kids go to private school and we never go without. We're also not in debt. I don't even know what we'd do with $100, 000 a year lol. I live in a place with cheap rent though so I think that's the main factor.
100% right. All our friends are earning similar to us, give or take. I don't know how it ends up like that... maybe common interests, work friends, uni friends etc
https://www.livingin-australia.com/salaries-australia/
This is a good link, but still skewed to capital city wages. We run a small business in regional Qld and our admin staff earn about $50k pa, our tradies about $65k. As the owners we earn about the same. We don't have any debt and we live within our means (budget, budget, budget). Most of our staff live fortnight to fortnight. Some own homes and some rent. We have friends who are nurses and teachers and tradies. Only those who work for the government earn more - more holidays, higher hourly rates, better sick/family leave inclusions, etc. We happen to live in a suburb that has a lot of professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc) and they all definitely earn MUCH more than our cohort (some over $1m pa), but their lives are no happier :)
The average is bull there are so many people living below the line its not funny
Yes the average is bull because they don't take into account what MOST people earn per year but instead just take everyone's income and put it all together then go to the middle.
Yes whats important is cost of living and how many people are not able to meet it
We live in victoria and my husband earns $76,000 a year which i thought was a good income but wr are still struggling and living fortnight to fortnight what are we doing wrong. Paying the arse out of rent so a big chunk of it is that but surly we should be doing ok BUT WE'RE NOT HEEEELP
My partner earns about $47k a year. We live comfortably on this because we live in a cheap area. We are renting a 4 bedroom house for $260 a week. Our town we live in is not one of the capital cities but it has everything we need like a shopping centre, hospital, parks, cinemas etc. We don't take out loans so are not in debt. We don't eat out much and there are a lot of free events on here for the kids so we don't spend a lot going out. Our kids go to one of the local private schools here and we still live comfortably. I get why some people who earn double what we do would struggle depending on the area they live in as rent in some places is utterly ridiculous! The downside to us living here though is jobs are scarce. I don't know what I'd do if my partner lost his.
If I lived in Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney we would really struggle because most of our income would go to rent. But we don't really need to live in those places as we have everything we need here.
That is cheap rent. A two bedroom unit is over $250 a week here. That's considered cheap compared to other places.
Yes...I know that...it's what I meant in my comment by "cheap area".
Our mortgage is 450 a week our car payments are 190 a week and cs is 250.00 a week and my partner earns about 800.00 take home on the weeks he earns a wage and I earn about 300.00 per week we have almost exchusted all our savings and have a 4mth old please tell me how you are suppose to live on the average wage
My husband earns $55k pa workinh full time (40hrs/wk). I am currently a SAHM but when I was working full time I earned $45k pa. We can get by on his wage alone though we are very strict with our budget.
My partner and I have 11 children between us not all at home of course but last yeah we only earnt 54 k for all of us. I work in payroll for a company that employs 50 people and not many of those will earn more than me . This year I will earn 46 K most of our employees are paid above award. The people earning huge money are increasing the average which is not a good indicator of what the real world is like.
Hubby about 90k and I'm on about 60k.
2 adults 2 kids plus 1 on the way and a cat.
We do ok. Not loaded as our mortgage repayments are quite high. But no other major debt.
We will see what happens when #3 gets here as to whether I go back to work or not.
My hubby works full time, I work 25 hours a week. Combined we earn about $75k. Luckily we live in a regional city- we wouldn't survive in Melbourne or Sydney
I'm on or above the average on $82K but I work minimum 50 hour weeks and rarely get holidays, my partner as a qualified tradie is on $48K for a 38 hour week.