Median salary
$77,339
ANZSCO 4411 · Protective service workers
Defence force member - other ranks salary in Australia
Median salary for an Australian defence force member - other ranks is $77,339 per year (2022-23 tax return data), with $61,803 take-home after tax at current FY2025-26 rates.
After tax (yr)
$61,803
Fortnightly
$2,377
Tax returns
24,940
Income distribution
Source: ATO Taxation Statistics 2022-23, Table 15 (ANZSCO unit group 4411, based on 24,940 tax returns).
| Metric | Taxable income | Salary / wages | Total income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median | $81,073 | $77,339 | $84,723 |
| Average (mean) | $86,151 | $77,802 | $89,591 |
Taxable income = gross income minus allowable deductions. Salary / wages = PAYG-reported income only. Total income = all sources including investment, business, etc.
Take-home pay on the median $defence force member - other ranks salary
| Gross salary (median) | $77,339 |
| Income tax | −$13,990 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | −$1,547 |
| Take-home pay | $61,803 |
| + Employer super | $9,281 |
See the $75,000 salary page for full breakdown (monthly, fortnightly, weekly, daily and hourly), or
open the calculator prefilled with $77,339 to model salary sacrifice, HELP, or novated lease.
Related occupations · Protective service workers
Other occupations within the same ANZSCO sub-major group.
| Occupation | Tax returns | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Police | 66,108 | $105,851 |
| Security officer or guard | 59,497 | $66,873 |
| Prison officer | 23,915 | $95,146 |
| Fire or emergency service worker | 20,731 | $109,650 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a defence force member - other ranks earn in Australia?
The median salary or wage income for an Australian defence force member - other ranks in 2022-23 was $77,339, based on 24,940 lodged tax returns. The average (mean) was $77,802; the mean is pulled up by high earners so the median is a better guide for a typical defence force member - other ranks.
What is a defence force member - other ranks salary after tax?
On the median $77,339 salary for a defence force member - other ranks, take-home pay in FY2025-26 is about $61,803 per year after income tax and the 2% Medicare levy — roughly $2,377 per fortnight or $1,189 per week.
How much tax does a defence force member - other ranks pay?
On the median $77,339 salary, a defence force member - other ranks in FY2025-26 pays about $15,536 in total tax — $13,990 income tax plus $1,547 Medicare levy. Effective rate: 20.1%.
How many people work as a defence force member - other ranks in Australia?
24,940 Australians lodged a tax return as a defence force member - other ranks in 2022-23. This is the count of individuals who classified themselves under ANZSCO unit group 4411 on their return.
What is the average vs median defence force member - other ranks salary?
Average (mean): $77,802. Median: $77,339. The median is usually lower because a small number of very high earners pull the average up. For a realistic picture of what a typical defence force member - other ranks earns, use the median.
Data sources
Salary data: Australian Taxation Office — Taxation Statistics 2022-23, Table 15. Used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence.
Take-home pay calculated at paycalculator.page using ATO-published FY2025-26 brackets, 2% Medicare levy, and default settings (Australian resident, private hospital cover, tax-free threshold claimed).