Median salary
$54,212
ANZSCO 5212 · Personal assistants and secretaries
Secretary salary in Australia
Median salary for an Australian secretary is $54,212 per year (2022-23 tax return data), with $46,263 take-home after tax at current FY2025-26 rates.
After tax (yr)
$46,263
Fortnightly
$1,779
Tax returns
29,246
Income distribution
Source: ATO Taxation Statistics 2022-23, Table 15 (ANZSCO unit group 5212, based on 29,246 tax returns).
| Metric | Taxable income | Salary / wages | Total income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median | $58,271 | $54,212 | $60,523 |
| Average (mean) | $65,958 | $54,672 | $68,472 |
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 $secretary salary
| Gross salary (median) | $54,212 |
| Income tax | −$6,865 |
| Medicare levy (2%) | −$1,084 |
| Low-income tax offset | +$187 |
| Take-home pay | $46,263 |
| + Employer super | $6,505 |
See the $55,000 salary page for full breakdown (monthly, fortnightly, weekly, daily and hourly), or
open the calculator prefilled with $54,212 to model salary sacrifice, HELP, or novated lease.
Related occupations · Personal assistants and secretaries
Other occupations within the same ANZSCO sub-major group.
| Occupation | Tax returns | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Personal assistant | 44,660 | $74,241 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a secretary earn in Australia?
The median salary or wage income for an Australian secretary in 2022-23 was $54,212, based on 29,246 lodged tax returns. The average (mean) was $54,672; the mean is pulled up by high earners so the median is a better guide for a typical secretary.
What is a secretary salary after tax?
On the median $54,212 salary for a secretary, take-home pay in FY2025-26 is about $46,263 per year after income tax and the 2% Medicare levy — roughly $1,779 per fortnight or $890 per week.
How much tax does a secretary pay?
On the median $54,212 salary, a secretary in FY2025-26 pays about $7,949 in total tax — $6,865 income tax plus $1,084 Medicare levy. Effective rate: 14.7%.
How many people work as a secretary in Australia?
29,246 Australians lodged a tax return as a secretary in 2022-23. This is the count of individuals who classified themselves under ANZSCO unit group 5212 on their return.
What is the average vs median secretary salary?
Average (mean): $54,672. Median: $54,212. 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 secretary 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).