All Australian workers are entitled to a minimum wage. This is the least you can be paid for doing a certain job. It's illegal for an employer to pay you less than the minimum wage. As of 1 July 2025, the national minimum wage is $24.95 per hour or $948 a week (if you work 38 hours).
Basic rules. Employers must pay at least the minimum wage. The current general minimum wage applies to all employees, with the exception of students under 18.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour (about $15,000 annually).
75k is fine unless you want to eat out every night while renting a 2 bedroom apartment on your own in an inner suburb.
You can't be paid less than your minimum wage. Check the minimum pay rates, allowances and penalty rates under your award.
Industries and Jobs Paying Only Minimum Wage
The following types of workers are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage:
The average Australian full-time worker is now earning more than $2000 a week for the first time in history. New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show the average ordinary full-time weekly earnings for adults hit $2011.40 before tax in May.
Currently, 34 states, territories and districts have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Five states have not adopted a state minimum wage: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Three states, Georgia, Oklahoma and Wyoming, have a minimum wage below $7.25 per hour.
On a £70,000 salary, your take home pay will be £51,157.40 after tax and National Insurance. This equates to £4,263.12 per month and £983.80 per week. If you work 5 days per week, this is £196.76 per day, or £24.59 per hour at 40 hours per week.
If you're earning $30 per hour, your annual income amounts to $62,400. This calculation is as simple as multiplying your hourly income by working week hours (40) then multiply it with 52 weeks of a year.
A living wage is the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet his or her basic needs, while federal and state minimum wages are the minimum rates that all covered employers must pay all workers. They generally apply to most employers, with the state minimum wage applying to those who work in that state.
Luxembourg. Luxembourg offers the highest minimum wage of any country worldwide at US$3,670 (€3,165) per month for skilled talent over the age of 18. Unskilled talent and talent under the age of 18 receive a lower monthly minimum wage: Unskilled workers 18 years of age and older: US$3,051 (€2,638)
Various minimum wage exceptions apply under specific circumstances to workers with disabilities, full-time students, youth under age 20 in their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment, tipped employees and student-learners.
If you're a worker aged 21 or over, and not in your first year of an apprenticeship, you are legally entitled to at least the National Living Wage. If you are in an apprenticeship, check our apprenticeship page for further information.
Posted Oct 1, 2025 7:10 pm. Last Updated Oct 1, 2025 7:20 pm. As of Wednesday, minimum wage workers in five Canadian provinces are seeing a pay bump—but Alberta is not among them. With no increase since 2018, Alberta now holds the distinction of having the lowest minimum wage in the country.
A good salary is one that enables you to comfortably support your desired lifestyle. Often, to determine the monetary value of a good salary, you need to consider a few additional factors, such as where you live, the number of people you're supporting, or your industry.
The Central African Republic is among the lowest minimum wage in the world, at 218.75 CFA Francs per hour, which is equivalent to . 36 USD per hour. In Kyrgyzstan, the minimum wage was updated in 2024 and is among the lowest is the world, at 2,460 Kyrgyzstani SOM.
Which states have the highest minimum wage?
How much do you need to live comfortably in Australia? Living comfortably in Australia varies greatly depending on factors such as location, lifestyle and personal preferences. As a general guide, a single person living outside of a major city would need an annual income of $70 - $80k per annum or $5,800+ per month.
Is $90K a Year Considered Middle Class? Depending on where you live and your household size, you may be classified as middle class. According to the Pew Research Center, a middle-class household has an income between $47,189 and $141,568. A $90,000 salary is well within that range.
A single person needs to earn £30,500 a year to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living in 2025. A couple with 2 children needs to earn £74,000 a year between them.
💡 Under the current Wage Order, the following may qualify: ✅ Retail or service establishments employing 10 workers or fewer ✅ Businesses affected by natural calamities or human-induced disasters (e.g., fire, typhoon, flooding, etc.)
The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour. Many states also have minimum wage laws. In cases where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages.
A living wage is simply the minimum hourly amount that a full-time worker must earn to afford basic necessities. In this case, a full-time worker is defined as someone who works at least 2,080 hours a year.