Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence in Australia

Australia: Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence was 19.95 Percentage of full-time employment in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
19.95 Percentage of full-time employment
Change on year
up 5.0%
World rank
20th
of 32 countries
All-time high
20.85 Percentage of full-time employment
in 2022
All-time low
10.6 Percentage of full-time employment
in 1985
Years of data
40
1985–2025

Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence in Australia, 1985–2025

051015201985200520251985: 10.6 Percentage of full-time employment1986: 11.8 Percentage of full-time employment1987: 12.2 Percentage of full-time employment1988: 12.9 Percentage of full-time employment1989: 13.1 Percentage of full-time employment1990: 12.1 Percentage of full-time employment1991: 13.4 Percentage of full-time employment1992: 13.4 Percentage of full-time employment1993: 13.3 Percentage of full-time employment1994: 14.4 Percentage of full-time employment1995: 14.5 Percentage of full-time employment1997: 15.2 Percentage of full-time employment1998: 16.7 Percentage of full-time employment1999: 17.8 Percentage of full-time employment2000: 16 Percentage of full-time employment2001: 17.2 Percentage of full-time employment2002: 16 Percentage of full-time employment2003: 16.1 Percentage of full-time employment2004: 18.2 Percentage of full-time employment2005: 16.8 Percentage of full-time employment2006: 17.8 Percentage of full-time employment2007: 18.7 Percentage of full-time employment2008: 16.6 Percentage of full-time employment2009: 19 Percentage of full-time employment2010: 20.4 Percentage of full-time employment2011: 20.4 Percentage of full-time employment2012: 20.1 Percentage of full-time employment2013: 20.6 Percentage of full-time employment2014: 20.1 Percentage of full-time employment2015: 19.3 Percentage of full-time employment2016: 19.1 Percentage of full-time employment2017: 19.4 Percentage of full-time employment2018: 19.5 Percentage of full-time employment2019: 18.5 Percentage of full-time employment2020: 19.1 Percentage of full-time employment2021: 19.4 Percentage of full-time employment2022: 20.8 Percentage of full-time employment2023: 19.7 Percentage of full-time employment2024: 19 Percentage of full-time employment2025: 19.9 Percentage of full-time employment

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of full-time employment.

Analysis

The most recent figure for incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence in Australia is 19.95 Percentage of full-time employment, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence in Australia peaked at 20.85 Percentage of full-time employment in 2022 and was at its lowest, 10.6 Percentage of full-time employment, in 1985.

Australia ranks 20th of 32 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12.1 Percentage of full-time employment 10.6 Percentage of full-time employment 13.06 Percentage of full-time employment 5
1990s 14.53 Percentage of full-time employment 12.15 Percentage of full-time employment 17.77 Percentage of full-time employment 9
2000s 17.23 Percentage of full-time employment 15.99 Percentage of full-time employment 18.95 Percentage of full-time employment 10
2010s 19.74 Percentage of full-time employment 18.49 Percentage of full-time employment 20.57 Percentage of full-time employment 10
2020s 19.68 Percentage of full-time employment 18.99 Percentage of full-time employment 20.85 Percentage of full-time employment 6

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 17 Iceland 21 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  2. 18 Mexico 20.79 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  3. 19 Greece 20.2 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  4. 21 OECD 19.61 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  5. 22 Austria 19.42 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  6. 23 Costa Rica 19.27 Percentage of full-time employment compare

See the full ranking of 40 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence in Australia?
Incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence in Australia was 19.95 Percentage of full-time employment in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 20.85 Percentage of full-time employment in 2022.
What is the lowest incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 10.6 Percentage of full-time employment in 1985.
How does Australia rank for incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence?
Australia ranks 20th out of 32 countries with data for 2025.
Is incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/incidence-of-low-and-high-pay-high-pay-incidence/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence
Unit
Percentage of full-time employment
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
40 places, 618 data points, 1985–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset contains series on the incidence of low-paid workers defined as the share of full-time workers earning less than two-thirds of gross median earnings of all full-time workers; the incidence of high-paid workers defined as the share of full-time workers earning more than one-and-half time gross median earnings of all full-time workers.