Queensland Economy
Wages, jobs, earnings and the cost of living in Queensland, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Unemployment in QLD was 4.5% in Sep 2026, against 4.7% nationally. Its 200 most populous suburbs held 2,510,784 people at the 2021 Census, with a median weekly income of $804 and a median weekly rent of $400.
Source: ABS Labour Force (6202.0), Wage Price Index (6345.0), Average Weekly Earnings (6302.0) and Census 2021.
Queensland economy at a glance
The average full-time worker in QLD earns $2,130/week (below the national average of $2,157/week). The unemployment rate sits at 4.5% (below the national 4.7%). Wages grew +3.4% over the past year (nationally +3.2%).
The median weekly rent across the QLD suburbs listed here is $400, which is 49.8% of median weekly income, above the 30% affordability benchmark.
Wage growth in QLD
The Wage Price Index measures the change in hourly rates of pay. QLD against the national index. Hover for detail.
Employment in QLD
Unemployment rate and labour force participation for Queensland.
What QLD earns
Full-time adult average weekly earnings by industry. ABS Cat. 6302.0.
Rent and income in QLD
Medians of suburb-level Census 2021 figures across the 200 most populous suburbs in Queensland.
Largest suburbs in QLD
Highest-population SA2 areas in Queensland from ABS Census 2021.
- Southport (Qld) Population 36,786· income $666/wk· rent $410/wk
- Buderim Population 31,430· income $793/wk· rent $450/wk
- Caboolture Population 29,534· income $640/wk· rent $310/wk
- Upper Coomera Population 27,180· income $821/wk· rent $450/wk
- Surfers Paradise Population 26,412· income $775/wk· rent $410/wk
- Robina Population 25,659· income $772/wk· rent $540/wk
Other state economies
Wages, jobs and earnings for each of the other states and territories.