Is A$120,000 a good income in Australia?
It is above the median, but not exceptional. An income of A$120,000 a year puts you ahead of about 67% of adults in Australia — roughly 13.8 million people have less.
Source: WealthPercentile model for adults aged 20+ in Australia (World Inequality Database 2026 update).
How A$120,000 compares in Australia
Thresholds for income per year, per adult. The last column shows A$120,000 relative to each level.
| Group | Starts at | A$120,000 is |
|---|---|---|
| Median adult | A$85,900 | 1.4× this level |
| Top 25% | A$143,000 | 84% of this level |
| Top 10% | A$217,000 | 55% of this level |
| Top 5% | A$280,000 | 43% of this level |
| Top 1% | A$570,000 | 21% of this level |
A$120,000 by global standards
Compared with all 5.5 billion adults in the world, A$120,000 is in the top 3.9%. The world median income is about A$6,010, and the global top 1% starts near A$256,000. Living costs differ a lot between countries, so a global rank says more about purchasing power abroad than about comfort at home.
The same A$120,000 in other countries
Ranks within each country, converted at ECB exchange rates. Countries with official person-level statistics use those; the rest use the model.
| Country | Rank | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| India | top 0.2% | model |
| China | top 1.3% | model |
| South Africa | top 1.9% | model |
| Brazil | top 2.5% | model |
| Sweden | top 5.1% | national statistics |
| Japan | top 5.8% | model |
| United Kingdom | top 7.9% | national statistics |
| France | top 14% | model |
| Germany | top 17% | model |
| Canada | top 21% | model |
| Norway | top 22% | Statistics Norway |
| United States | top 22% | national statistics |
| Switzerland | bottom 45% | model |
Other amounts in Australia
- A$50,000 — bottom 32%
- A$60,000 — bottom 38%
- A$70,000 — bottom 43%
- A$80,000 — bottom 47%
- A$90,000 — top 48%
- A$100,000 — top 43%
- A$120,000 — top 33%
- A$150,000 — top 23%
- A$200,000 — top 12%
- A$250,000 — top 6.8%
Frequently asked questions
What percentile is A$120,000 income in Australia?
A$120,000 is in the top 33% of adults in Australia: about 67% have less.
What income puts you in the top 1% in Australia?
About A$570,000 a year per adult.
How is this calculated?
WealthPercentile model for adults aged 20+ in Australia (World Inequality Database 2026 update). Amounts are per adult; couples’ wealth is split equally. Exchange rates are ECB reference rates of 2026-10-09.
Estimates for education and curiosity, not financial advice. Read the methodology.