Economist salary guide: what you take home after tax

Economist salary: the official median

If you are an economist or considering the career, the most authoritative figure comes from Jobs and Skills Australia. Their February 2026 occupation profile shows median full-time weekly earnings of $2,862 for economists. That works out to about $148,800 a year before tax. The data is drawn from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, and covers full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate.

This economist salary sits well above the national minimum wage of $1,004.90 per week and also above the full-time adult ordinary time average of $2,083.70 reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It reflects the specialised analytical skills and high educational attainment in the field—over 95% of economists hold a bachelor degree or higher, and more than half have a graduate diploma or postgraduate qualification.

How it compares to benchmarks

Using the Benchmarks on this site, you can see where the economist salary lands against other reference points:

• National minimum wage: $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week. The economist median is 2.8 times that.
• All employees average weekly total earnings: $1,579.20 (includes part-time). The economist median is 1.8 times that.
• Full-time adult ordinary time earnings: $2,083.70 per week. The economist median is 37% higher.

These comparisons highlight that economists are among the higher-paid professional occupations, though pay varies by sector, experience, and employer. Public sector roles follow published classification scales, while banks, consultancies, and resources companies often pay more for similar analysis.

Take-home pay after tax and Medicare

What reaches your bank account depends on your taxable income, the Medicare levy, and any offsets. For the median economist salary of $148,800, here is an estimate using 2026–27 resident rates:

• Gross annual: $148,800
• Income tax: $36,126 (based on the $31,020 plus 37c per $1 over $135,000 bracket)
• Medicare levy: $2,976 (2% of taxable income; the full rate applies as your income is well above the single thresholds of $28,011 and $35,013)
• Take-home: approximately $109,698 per year, or $2,109 per week

This is before any HELP or HECS repayment, salary sacrifice, or the Medicare levy surcharge. For a more personalised estimate, use the Take-home pay guide on this site. The Tax and Medicare page explains the thresholds and shading rules in detail.

What affects your economist salary

Several factors move the economist salary up or down from the median:

• Sector: Public Administration and Safety, Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, and Education and Training employ the most economists. Public sector pay is transparent and structured; private sector roles can be higher but less predictable.
• Experience and seniority: Median age is 35, and many economists move into management or commercial strategy, which pushes earnings above the analytical range.
• Qualifications: A postgraduate qualification and specialist skills in economic modelling or statistical analysis command a premium.
• Location: Rent costs vary significantly—median unit rent takes 39% of take-home pay in Adelaide but 56% on the Gold Coast, according to one analysis. Your net position after housing costs depends on where you work.