WPI 2026 Q1 160.4 +3.3% yr  ·  CPI +4.1% yr  ·  NEXT WPI RELEASE 19 AUG 2026  ·  ABS 6345.0 / 6401.0
wagepriceindex.com Australia's wage and price indexes, charted and computed — every figure traceable to its ABS source

Wage Price Index calculator

Compare a wage between any two quarters using the ABS Wage Price Index, and see the same period against the Consumer Price Index.

A note on the dates

The WPI is comparing wages as at late February 2021 and late February 2026.

The CPI is comparing average prices across January–March 2021 and January–March 2026.

The WPI is measured once a quarter, at the last pay period ending on or before the third Friday of the quarter's middle month — so a March quarter reflects wages as at late February, give or take a pay cycle.

The CPI is an average of prices collected across the whole quarter.

Grown with the WPI
$82,498
+17.9%
over this period
Same buying power now costs
$86,955
+24.2%
over this period
Real wage change
-5.1%
WPI relative to CPI, March 2021 → March 2026
Still on $70,000? The average Australian job that paid $70,000 in March 2021 pays about $82,498 today. If your pay hasn't moved, you're $12,498 a year behind the average.

Averages differ by state, industry and sector — see wage growth across Australia.

WPI vs CPI

Scroll or pinch to zoom — hover or tap for the figures
Both rebased to 100 at September 1997
WPI CPI
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics — Wage Price Index, Australia (March quarter 2026); Consumer Price Index, Australia

Latest releases

CPI March quarter 2026 4.1% yr · +1.4% qtr WPI March quarter 2026 3.3% yr · +0.8% qtr

Next WPI release 19 Aug 2026 · All releases

Wage growth around the country

Annual growth to the March quarter 2026, by state and territory — each links to the full history and its ABS source.

Australian Capital Territory 3.7% Western Australia 3.6% Queensland 3.4% New South Wales 3.2% Victoria 3.1% South Australia 3.1% Tasmania 2.9% Northern Territory 2.3%

All 18 industries · Private vs public sector · The full breakdown

Where these numbers come from
WPI ABS Wage Price Index (cat. 6345.0), total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses, all sectors, seasonally adjusted, Australia — March quarter 2026 release, Table 1, series A2713849C (spreadsheet · API query)
CPI ABS Consumer Price Index (cat. 6401.0), All groups, original, weighted average of eight capital cities — release, Table 17, series A2325846C (spreadsheet · API query)

The WPI tracks hourly wages across the economy for the same jobs over time. This shows what the average wage did — your own pay can differ.