ABS Media Release: Survey of earnings released

In May 2010, a quarter of all employees earned less than $528 per week, with another quarter earning more than $1,304, according to results from the Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The survey also showed that ten percent of employees earned $1,856 or more per week .

Full-time employees, who make up the majority of employees, received average weekly total cash earnings of $1,313.30, compared to $1,010.30 for all employees. Earnings were higher for full-time males ($1,404.40) than for full-time females ($1,167.70). However, part-time females earned slightly more than part-time males ($503.80 compared to $454.50).

The occupation groups receiving the highest average weekly earnings for all employees were Managers ($1,848.90) followed by Professionals ($1,348.80). The lowest earnings were recorded by Sales workers ($578.60), Community and personal service workers ($648.70), and Labourers ($650.90).

Across industries, average weekly total cash earnings for all employees ranged from $475.60 in the Accommodation and food services industry to $2,206.90 in the Mining industry.

Four out of five employees had their pay set by either a collective agreement (43.4%) or by an individual arrangement (37.3%). Males were more likely to have their pay set by an individual arrangement (42.3%), whereas the most common pay setting method for females was collective agreement (47.6%). Accommodation and food services was the only industry where award was the most common method of setting pay, covering 45.2% of employees in that industry.

Further information is available in Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2010 (cat. no. 6306.0)