Chartered Accountant Salary: Minimum Wage, Award Coverage, and Typical Earnings
The legal minimum for a chartered accountant not covered by an award is the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week (from 1 July 2026), plus 12% super.
Chartered Accountant Salary: Legal Minimum and Typical Earnings
When researching the chartered accountant salary in Australia, it is important to distinguish between the legal minimum pay floor and typical market earnings. This guide explains the award coverage rules, the national minimum wage, and how median earnings compare.
Award Coverage for Chartered Accountants
Chartered accountants are professional accountants. According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, accountants working for an accounting firm are not covered by any modern award. They are award-free and entitled only to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards. For chartered accountants employed outside accounting firms, coverage depends on the employer’s industry and the employee’s duties. Awards that may cover accountants include the Banking, Finance and Insurance Award, Black Coal Award, Electrical Power Award, and Rail Award. The Miscellaneous Award does not cover professional employees, including accountants.
If no award applies, the chartered accountant is award-free and the national minimum wage is the legal floor. If an award does apply, the award’s minimum classification rates (which are often higher) must be paid.
The National Minimum Wage (2026-27)
From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a full-time adult employee (38 ordinary hours). Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual minimum $33.05 per hour. These rates are set by the Fair Work Commission and apply to award-free employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides guidance and enforcement.
Important: Not every worker must receive $26.44 per hour. Junior rates, apprentice and trainee rates, introductory award rates, and supported wages can be lower. However, for a fully qualified chartered accountant, these exceptions are unlikely.
Typical Chartered Accountant Earnings
For a sense of what chartered accountants typically earn, the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) reports median full-time weekly earnings for accountants (ANZSCO 2211) of $2,003 before tax. This is a survey average, not a legal minimum. It reflects full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Actual salaries vary widely based on experience, industry, and location.
Super Guarantee
All minimum and typical pay figures discussed are before tax and do not include the super guarantee. Employers must pay an additional 12% of ordinary time earnings into the employee’s super fund. For a chartered accountant earning the national minimum wage, the employer would contribute an extra $120.59 per week (12% of $1,004.90).
Enterprise Agreements and Negotiated Salaries
If a chartered accountant is covered by an enterprise agreement, the agreement’s rates apply instead of the award or national minimum wage. These rates can be higher or lower than the award, but cannot be less than the national minimum wage. Many chartered accountants negotiate salaries well above the legal minimum, especially in professional services firms.
How This Site Can Help
Use our Which minimum wage applies tool to check if a modern award covers your role. Our Rate tables show current award and national minimum rates. For more detail on how we calculate figures, see How the figures work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are chartered accountants covered by an award?
Chartered accountants working for an accounting firm are not covered by any modern award. They are award-free and entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards. Chartered accountants employed by an employer in an industry covered by an award (e.g., Banking, Finance and Insurance Award, Black Coal Award) may be covered if their duties match the classifications. The Miscellaneous Award explicitly excludes professional employees, including accountants.
What is the typical chartered accountant salary in Australia?
According to the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), the median full-time weekly earnings for accountants (including chartered accountants) is $2,003 before tax. This equates to about $104,156 per year. Note that this is a survey average and does not represent a minimum or guaranteed salary. Actual pay varies by experience, location, and employer.
Does the national minimum wage apply to all chartered accountants?
No. The national minimum wage applies only to chartered accountants who are not covered by a modern award or an enterprise agreement. If a chartered accountant is covered by an award (e.g., because their employer is in a covered industry and their duties match a classification), the award’s minimum pay rates apply instead. Those rates are often higher than the national minimum wage. Enterprise agreements can also set higher rates.
Questions people ask next
Are chartered accountants covered by an award?
Chartered accountants working for an accounting firm are not covered by any modern award. They are award-free and entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards. Chartered accountants employed by an employer in an industry covered by an award (e.g., Banking, Finance and Insurance Award, Black Coal Award) may be covered if their duties match the classifications. The Miscellaneous Award explicitly excludes professional employees, including accountants.
What is the typical chartered accountant salary in Australia?
According to the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), the median full-time weekly earnings for accountants (including chartered accountants) is $2,003 before tax. This equates to about $104,156 per year. Note that this is a survey average and does not represent a minimum or guaranteed salary. Actual pay varies by experience, location, and employer.
Does the national minimum wage apply to all chartered accountants?
No. The national minimum wage applies only to chartered accountants who are not covered by a modern award or an enterprise agreement. If a chartered accountant is covered by an award (e.g., because their employer is in a covered industry and their duties match a classification), the award’s minimum pay rates apply instead. Those rates are often higher than the national minimum wage. Enterprise agreements can also set higher rates.
Related guides
- Accountant salary in Australia: which pay floor applies and what the ABS figures show
Most accountants are award‑free and entitled to the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week) from 1 July 2026, but the ABS reports a median full‑time non‑managerial accountant salary of $2,003 per week.
- Accountant Salary Australia: Minimum Wage, Award Coverage & Median Earnings
The legal minimum for award-free accountants is the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week), but many accountants earn above this; the median full-time weekly earnings are $2,003.
- Accountant Salary Melbourne: Award Coverage vs Award-Free Rates
Accountants in Melbourne who are award-free are entitled to at least the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour, but the median full-time salary is around $2,003 per week ($53/hour) before tax, plus super.
- Accountant Salary Sydney: Legal Minimum, Award Coverage, and Median Earnings Compared
The legal minimum for award-free accountants in Sydney is the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week, but the median full-time accountant earns $2,003 per week before tax.