Pay and contracts
What you actually take home, what's normal, and what your type of employment entitles you to.
Casual employment rights in Australia
Casual employment law changed in August 2024. What casual employees get under the National Employment Standards, the pathway to a permanent role, and whether you can be let go without notice.
Casual, part time or full time
The difference between casual, part-time and full-time work comes down to two separate questions. The first is whether your employer has made a firm commitment to ongoing work.
Contractor or employee, and who decides which you are
Your paperwork does not decide whether you are a contractor or an employee. How the tests work, how tax and super differ, and what sham contracting is.
How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbers
What national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
Salary sacrifice
Salary sacrifice is an agreement with your employer to give up part of your future pre-tax pay in exchange for benefits of similar value, such as extra super, a car through a novated lease, or everyday expenses if you work for a charity or public hospital.
The average salary in Australia (2026)
Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.