ABS Data · WA Economy

Western Australia
Economy

Wages, jobs, earnings, and cost of living in Western Australia. Real ABS data — no spin.

1,874,859
Population (Census)
$883
Median Weekly Income
4.2%
Unemployment Rate
$350
Median Weekly Rent
Source: ABS Census 2021, WPI (6345.0), Labour Force (6202.0), AWE (6302.0)
Overview

Western Australia economy at a glance

The average full-time worker in WA earns $2,304/week (above the national average of $2,129/week). The unemployment rate sits at 4.2% (below the national 4.3%). Wages grew +4.1% over the past year (nationally +3.4%).

The median weekly rent across WA suburbs is $350, which is 39.6% of median weekly income — above the 30% affordability benchmark.

Wage Price Index

Wage growth in WA

WPI tracks how fast wages are growing. WA vs national. Hover for detail.

159.6
Latest WPI Index
+4.1%
WA WPI YoY
+3.4%
National WPI YoY
WA WPI
National (dashed)
Job Market

Employment in WA

Unemployment rate and labour force participation for Western Australia.

4.2%
Unemployment Rate
4.3%
National Unemployment
68.6%
Participation Rate
WA Unemployment
National (dashed)
Average Weekly Earnings

What WA earns

Full-time adult average weekly earnings by industry. ABS Cat. 6302.0.

$2,304
Weekly (WA)
$119,787
Annual (WA)
$2,129
National Weekly
Cost of Living

Rent & income in WA

Median rent and income from ABS Census 2021 suburb data across Western Australia.

$350
Median Weekly Rent
$883
Median Weekly Income
$45,916
Median Annual Income
39.6%
Rent as % of Income
Above 30% benchmark
Top Suburbs

Largest suburbs in WA

Highest-population SA2 areas in Western Australia from ABS Census 2021.

Explore

Other state economies

Compare economic data across Australia's states and territories.

Data Sources
ABS Wage Price Index (6345.0)
Quarterly WPI by state. Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses.
ABS WPI →
ABS Labour Force (6202.0)
Monthly unemployment rate and participation by state.
ABS Labour →
ABS Average Weekly Earnings (6302.0)
Half-yearly earnings by state, industry, and sex.
ABS AWE →
ABS Census of Population and Housing (2021)
Suburb-level population, income, and rent data from Census 2021.
ABS Census →