Town Planner Salary: Minimum Pay and Typical Earnings in Australia

Town Planner Salary: Understanding the Pay Floor and Typical Earnings

If you are researching the town planner salary in Australia, it helps to separate the legal minimum from what most planners actually earn. This guide uses official sources to give you a practical check you can do with your own hourly or weekly rate.

Legal minimum for town planners

The national minimum wage is the safety net for employees not covered by an award or agreement. From 1 July 2026, the adult rate is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a 38‑hour week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading, making the casual rate $33.05 per hour. Superannuation (12% of ordinary time earnings) is paid on top of these figures.

However, the Fair Work Ombudsman explains that town planners employed in local government are covered by the Local Government Industry Award. That award sets minimum rates higher than the national minimum for most classifications. Town planners outside local government have no applicable award and are award‑free, so the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards are their floor. A modern award or enterprise agreement can always require a higher rate than the national minimum.

Award coverage and the backstop

Even if you are award‑free, the national minimum wage acts as a backstop. For the first six months in a job, an introductory rate of $25.74 per hour ($978.10 per week) may apply to award‑free employees. After that, the full adult rate applies. Juniors, apprentices, and trainees have their own percentages, but most town planners are adult professionals.

If you work in local government, your award classification will determine your minimum. The Local Government Industry Award has several levels; you should check the classification that matches your duties. Your employer must pay at least the award rate for that level.

Typical earnings: what the ABS says

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provides median earnings for the occupation “Urban and Regional Planners” (ANZSCO 2326). In the May 2025 Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, the median full‑time weekly earnings were $2,316, and the median hourly earnings were $62. About 81% of planners work full‑time, averaging 40 hours per week. These figures are before tax and do not include superannuation.

Remember that the median is the midpoint – half of full‑time planners earn more, half earn less. Your own town planner salary will depend on experience, location, sector, and responsibilities.

Factors that affect your rate

• Experience: A 2024‑25 industry survey by Planned Resources (a recruitment firm) found that planners with no experience earned around $77,000–$94,000 (base plus super), while those with 10 years earned roughly $165,000–$180,000. Directors could earn over $250,000.
• State: New South Wales tends to pay a premium, but most states are within 10% of each other.
• Sector: Public sector salaries are often higher in the early years; private sector catches up after about seven years. At managerial level, public sector base salaries are about 5% higher, but bonuses and profit share in private practice can close the gap.
• Award vs award‑free: If you are covered by the Local Government Award, your minimum is set by that award. If you are award‑free, your employer can pay above the national minimum, and many do.

How to compare your rate

Take your hourly or weekly pay (excluding super) and compare it to the national minimum of $26.44/h or $1,004.90/week. If you are award‑free and earn less than that, you may be underpaid. If you are covered by an award, check the award rate for your classification. For a broader benchmark, compare your full‑time weekly earnings to the ABS median of $2,316.

For more detail on which minimum applies to you, see our Which minimum wage applies guide. You can also browse Rate tables for award and national minimum figures.

Superannuation is extra

All employers must pay superannuation guarantee contributions on top of your salary. From 1 July 2026, the rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings. So if your base salary is $80,000, your employer adds $9,600 to your super account. This is not part of your take‑home pay but is a compulsory benefit.

State system employees

Most private‑sector employees are in the national system. However, some state public sector and local government employees (and some Western Australian sole traders and partnerships) may be covered by state awards. If you work for a state government department or a local council in a state that is not in the national system, check your state’s industrial relations body. The national minimum wage still applies as a floor, but your award may set different rates.

Final check

To summarise: the legal minimum for an award‑free town planner is $26.44 per hour. If you are in local government, the Local Government Industry Award sets a higher minimum. The typical full‑time town planner earns around $2,316 per week. Use these figures to see where your own rate sits.

This article is for general orientation only and is not a pay determination or legal advice. Always consult the Fair Work Ombudsman or a workplace relations professional for your specific situation.

For the published floors, see the rate tables and how the figures work.