A person working as a Waiter / Waitress in Australia typically earns around 28,600 AUD per year. Salaries range from 14,900 AUD (lowest) to 43,800 AUD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Waiter / Waitress salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Waiter / Waitress Salary Distribution in Australia
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
Salary Range
Waiter / Waitress salaries in Australia range from 14,900 AUD per year (minimum salary) to 43,800 AUD per year (maximum salary).
Median Salary
The median salary is 27,500 AUD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Waiter / Waitress(s) are earning less than 27,500 AUD while the other half are earning more than 27,500 AUD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Waiter / Waitress(s) are earning less than 19,100 AUD while 75% of them are earning more than 19,100 AUD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Waiter / Waitress(s) are earning less than 34,200 AUD while 25% are earning more than 34,200 AUD.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
Waiter / Waitress Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Waiter / Waitress salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Waiter / Waitress with less than two years of experience makes approximately 16,900 AUD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 22,700 AUD per year, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 29,500 AUD per year, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
“ On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark. ”
Additionally, Waiter / Waitress(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 35,700 AUD per year, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 39,000 AUD per year, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 41,000 AUD per year, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Waiter / Waitress average salary change by experience in Australia
0 - 2 Years2 - 5 Years+34%5 - 10 Years+30%10 - 15 Years+21%15 - 20 Years+9%20+ Years+5%Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Waiter / Waitress Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Waiter / Waitress(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Waiter / Waitress salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is High School, the average salary of a Waiter / Waitress is 20,100 AUD per year.
While someone with a Certificate or Diploma gets a salary of 28,800 AUD per year, 43% more than someone having a High School degree.
A Bachelor's Degree gets its holder an average salary of 39,700 AUD per year, 38% more than someone with a Certificate or Diploma.
Waiter / Waitress average salary difference by education level in Australia
High SchoolCertificate or Diploma+43%Bachelor's Degree+38%Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Waiter / Waitress Salary Comparison By Gender
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Waiter / Waitress employees in Australia earn 5% less than their female counterparts on average.
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary Comparison By Gender in Australia for all Careers
Waiter / Waitress Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Australia
How much are annual salary increments in Australia for Waiter / Waitress(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?
Waiter / Waitress(s) in Australia are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 16 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.
Australia / All Professions
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
“The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in Australia is 6%.”
Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2021
BankingEnergyInformation TechnologyHealthcareTravelConstructionEducationListed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Australia for the year 2021. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Waiter / Waitress Bonus and Incentive Rates in Australia
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
A Waiter / Waitress is considered to be a low bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
72% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 28% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 1% to 3% of their annual salary.
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs
Revenue GeneratorsSupporting CastEmployees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.
Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.
Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.
Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
“Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.”
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Waiter / Waitress Average Hourly Wage in Australia
The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Australia is 14 AUD. This means that the average Waiter / Waitress in Australia earns approximately 14 AUD for every worked hour.
Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
Waiter / Waitress VS Other Jobs
The average salary for Waiter / Waitress is 53% less than that of Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering. Also, Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering salaries are 33% less than those of All Jobs.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
All Rounder38,800 AUD
Salary Comparison By City
Adelaide30,000 AUDBrisbane30,100 AUDCanberra-Queanbeyan30,300 AUDGold Coast-Tweed29,900 AUDGosford26,500 AUDMelbourne33,300 AUDNewcastle29,200 AUDPerth30,000 AUDSunshine Coast27,200 AUDSydney33,400 AUDWollongong26,200 AUD
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Australia earn 5% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.