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How much do freelancers earn in Australia?
Compare Australian freelance earnings figures, understand what each measures, and work through a practical revenue and profit example for your own business.
For Australian freelancers comparing income figures or planning a working year.
Updated
Hnry reports average freelancer earnings of A$62,000 for FY 2025–26. Its report measures taxable profit among people using Hnry, rather than every Australian freelancer.
Use that figure as context for your own plan. Your fees and booked hours determine revenue; business costs reduce what remains before personal income tax.
What do Australian earnings figures measure?
Check who the figure covers, its date and what counts as income. These three sources answer different questions.
ABS employee earnings
The August 2025 release gives median employee earnings of A$1,425 per week. That is employee pay, not a freelance income estimate. The same release counts 1.1 million independent contractors, but that headcount does not turn employee pay into contractor earnings.
Hnry freelancer earnings
The FY 2025–26 report gives an average of A$62,000 for its freelancer group. The report analyses taxable profit from sole traders using Hnry. It is neither a national median nor a recommended hourly rate. The public freelancer summary was updated on 2 October 2026.
ATO business income via ANAO
The ANAO report published on 30 June 2026 cites average annual business income of A$60,000 for sole traders. Sole traders include businesses beyond freelance services. Business income is not personal take-home pay. Do not label this a 2023–24 freelancer earnings figure: that tax year appears nearby for a different statistic.
Build your own earnings plan
Say you plan 20 billable hours a week for 46 weeks, charging A$85 an hour. These chosen amounts are not observed market rates.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Client hours | 20 × 46 | 920 hours |
| Service revenue | 920 × A$85 | A$78,200 |
| Included business costs | A$78,200 − A$16,200 | A$62,000 before personal tax |
Matching a published average does not validate your rate. At 15 billable hours a week, the same rate and weeks produce A$58,650 revenue. After the same costs, A$42,450 remains before personal tax. Check realistic booked hours before relying on either plan.
Revenue, profit and cash tell different stories
A large invoice can look like a large payday. Say you receive A$96,000 in service fees and spend A$18,000 on business costs. That leaves A$78,000 before personal income tax and retirement savings. All amounts exclude GST.
- Revenue: record the fees your work brings in. Keep any GST separate from service fees.
- Profit planning: subtract the business costs included in your plan. Check missing costs before treating the remainder as money you can spend.
- Cash: check which invoices have actually been paid. An unpaid invoice cannot fund today’s bills, even when it appears in an invoice total.
- TimeLodge helps you record actual billable hours and expenses, prepare invoices and follow payment status. Use those records to compare your plan with the work you delivered.
Check the current guidance
- ABS: Characteristics of Employment, August 2025Released 12 December 2025. Employee median earnings and independent-contractor headcount describe different populations.
- Hnry: freelancer earnings, FY 2025–26Updated 2 October 2026. Links to the full report; page 4 explains the taxable-profit measure and Hnry customer population. The freelancer average appears on page 11.
- ANAO: management of small business collectable debtPublished 30 June 2026. Paragraph 1.2 cites ATO sole-trader business-income figures; paragraph 1.3 gives a separate 2023–24 tax collection figure.
- Moneysmart: self-employmentPractical guidance on budgeting for variable income and planning for time away from work.