Australia minimum wage $14.31?!?!!?

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Harriet

Yeah I think we're better than the US in terms of social security and stuff.

I'm shocked by how low wages are in the US. I see people my age (university student) on this site talking about their jobs and they think $10 an hour is a good wage. All the students I know working here in Australia make around $20 and hour or more. Then again our $ is worth less now but it was about equal for a lot of 2008. Also I think prices of some things are cheaper in the US.

Harriet

ABOVE US ONLY SKY

Our minimum wage is higher and stadard of living is higher. However in Australia we don't tip as in america. Of course in america you might tip 20% to the waitress which contribtes to their wage. In Aust tipping is very rare so they only get their hourly wage. If you're working full time on min wage you can live perfectly fine

Elizabeth

Yes, we do have a far higher minimum wage than the USA.
As mentioned above we rarely tip.
Yes, you can live reasonably well on the minimum wage (full time hours) but of course you live better if you obtain education and training and earn more.
We also have Universal Health Care (Medicare) available to everyone.
Any of us can take out Private Heath cover too if we choose to, but you will get top quality treatment with or without Private Health cover.
(With Private cover you can get the treatment you require by the specialists of your choice and in a private hospital at the time of your choice.)
Our Private Health cover is much, much cheaper than in the USA too.
"Medical bankruptcy" is not a term used here in Australia.

Ozmaniac

Yes, our minimum wage is high compared to that of the USA and keep in mind that on top of that, workers also get 4 weeks paid vacation and 2 weeks sick pay AND their employer must pay 9% superannuation for them into their retirement fund (that's on top of their wage - not taken out of it).

All things considered, people on the minimum wage in Australia are much better off than minimum wage earners in the USA. They don't live like royalty, but they have enough for a roof over their heads, decent food and clothing and some entertainment. Out of their $14.31, they take home $12.40 after tax (not $10.70 as stated in another answer) and if they have a family, they receive a number of other benefits from the government which can amount to quite a few thousand $$ in a year. The most important other difference between our two countries is that they don't need to pay to get top class medical treatment - that's available to everyone here.

Some things are more expensive in Australia, but others are cheaper and working Australians even on minimum can enjoy a reasonable standard of living. Don't be misled by the 'high taxation' argument in another answer (e.g. someone on $100,000 pays $27500 in tax and Medicare - not $48,000 as stated). When everything else (state tax etc) is taken into account, our taxation works out not far from that of the USA.

fruitsalad

Yes, our standard of living is higher in Australia than in the US. Housing costs are more expensive which eats into the higher wages. And lots of people want to move to Australia, but it is very difficult, you need skill in demand eg engineer, nurse etc.

And as Mel said, our minimum wage for an adult is actually over $15, not $14.31, plus you get 4 weeks paid annual leave and 2 weeks paid sick leave at that rate.

Because the economy has been so strong due mainly to good economic management by our previous governments our unemployment rate is very low, it is still at only 4.4% but starting to rise a bit now with the financial crisis, it may rise to more than 7%, although I personally don't think it will.

Ranjeeh D

Australia has a long history of providing protection to workers, with such things as 'awards' defining minimum conditions and minimum pay.

Bear in mind the exchange rate is not a reliable basis on which to judge relative pay. A more reliable indicator somebody coined a few years ago was the 'Big Mac' indicator, in which you compared the price of the Big Mac in each country against things like the average hourly pay rate.

Elliot

Some employers get around it by employing teenagers and firing them when they get old enough to qualify for a decent wage. In some trades first-year apprentices are used as cheap labour, since they also don't get the minimum wage. And as someone has pointed out, tipping is pretty uncommon in Australia. Also the minimum wage obviously doesn't apply to jobs that don't pay a wage. A taxi driver, for example, whose income is directly based on the value of his fares, can easily make less than the minimum wage.

Someone who earns the minimum wage and works full time can live reasonably well. Most of the people below the poverty line in Australia are unemployed or under-employed.

Goonhilda

I laughed my **** off when I read that.

Yes, we have a higher minimum wage, but nearly a quarter of it goes in tax. We pay very high taxes compared to America. So after tax, it could be closer to $10.70 in your hand.

People on minimum wage, as a rule, live slightly better than people on Centrelink payments (social security). However, they don't get the benefits of the social security system, like discounts on bills and subsidised travel. I'm telling you, I earn just above minimum wage and I work a 38 hour working week at that job (I also work a second job). I am a tight ****, so I can stretch my money pretty well, but some people are just clueless with their cash.

In Australia, we pay high taxes, which pay for our social security system, which is much better funded (and better overall) than the American system. I'm sorry to say it, but that's one area we beat the pants off you guys. Another area we beat the pants off the Americans in is the Health system. Yes, you guessed it, a lot of the tax we pay goes to the health system. Everyone pays the Medicare levy in their tax, which supports the hospital system, so you can see a doctor or go on a waiting list for treatment, regardless of whether you have insurance.

We also pay a heap more for fuel. We are taxed through the fuel price for the road upkeep, and since we're a big country with a lot of roads, and have a smaller population, it costs quite a bit to keep the roads going.

So when you see that the wage is that high, you need to take into account the fact that us Aussies pay through the nose where tax is concerned. Some people pay 47% tax. So if they earn $100 000 in a year, they actually take home $52 000 (that $1k missing is the Medicare levy). Also, we don't tip. We have a non-tipping culture, so wages are higher accordingly.

I don't mind paying a shiteload in tax, if it means that I can get the Dole or income support when I need it, see a doctor at no cost, and go to University for only a few thousand dollars a year, which is deferable. Man, I love this country. Why would I ever move?

Mel

I don't know what jobs would pay that, the lowest wage I have ever come across for someone over 21, is around $15.60 as a full time trainee wage.

I'm 22 with average experience and earn $25 an hour in a basic admin job. My dad is on a salary of over $100,000 and his hourly wage is broken down to $55 an hour (of course based on a 40 hour week, when anyone on a salary does a lot more then that).

The average full time salary is around $50,000 - $60,000

Then Centrelink or the dole, welfare, whatever you want to call it for the unemployed pays $11,600 which I believe is an average American income.

We don't get tips our wages are higher with the expectation of good service, but we also pay more for things because of it. Comparatively speaking, we are still better off in Australia.

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