New South Wales Economy
Wages, jobs, earnings and the cost of living in New South Wales, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Unemployment in NSW was 4.7% in Sep 2026, against 4.7% nationally. Its 200 most populous suburbs held 3,345,541 people at the 2021 Census, with a median weekly income of $845 and a median weekly rent of $455.
Source: ABS Labour Force (6202.0), Wage Price Index (6345.0), Average Weekly Earnings (6302.0) and Census 2021.
New South Wales economy at a glance
The average full-time worker in NSW earns $2,177/week (above the national average of $2,157/week). The unemployment rate sits at 4.7% (below the national 4.7%). Wages grew +3.1% over the past year (nationally +3.2%).
The median weekly rent across the NSW suburbs listed here is $455, which is 53.9% of median weekly income, above the 30% affordability benchmark.
Wage growth in NSW
The Wage Price Index measures the change in hourly rates of pay. NSW against the national index. Hover for detail.
Employment in NSW
Unemployment rate and labour force participation for New South Wales.
What NSW earns
Full-time adult average weekly earnings by industry. ABS Cat. 6302.0.
Rent and income in NSW
Medians of suburb-level Census 2021 figures across the 200 most populous suburbs in New South Wales.
Largest suburbs in NSW
Highest-population SA2 areas in New South Wales from ABS Census 2021.
- Blacktown Population 50,961· income $757/wk· rent $400/wk
- Port Macquarie Population 47,693· income $679/wk· rent $380/wk
- Dubbo Population 43,516· income $876/wk· rent $310/wk
- Orange Population 41,232· income $836/wk· rent $330/wk
- Castle Hill (NSW) Population 40,874· income $931/wk· rent $560/wk
- Auburn (NSW) Population 39,333· income $580/wk· rent $410/wk
Other state economies
Wages, jobs and earnings for each of the other states and territories.