The total value of wage and salary income received by individuals has increased from $71.2 billion in 2006 to $199.7 billion in 2026. Between 2025 and 2026 the total value of wages and salaries paid to individuals has increased by $5.3 billion (2.7%). Average earnings per worker increased by around 3.6%, reflecting continued nominal wage growth across the workforce.
The graph above shows the general increase in wage and salary income over time. The effect of annual wage and salary increases can be seen in this graph as a rightwards movement of the curve over time, with the peak of the total wages and salaries increasing from $38,000 in 2006, to $48,000 in 2016, and to $70,000 in 2026. This reflects a greater number of individuals across higher wage and salary income bands.