Earnings climb
Earnings keep rising toward their peak for many people.
Khaki row · ages 32 to 41
Earnings keep rising toward their peak for many people.
Extensions or upgrades are funded from savings or the mortgage.
Paying down the mortgage reduces interest cost over the loan.
Reskilling through TAFE, university or short courses is an option at any age.
Regular checks and screening begin to matter more as the cost of ill health rises.
Search these names on the department sites below. Links go to each department's home page.
Figures from published research for the age groups that cover 40–41. Sources often publish wider age groups, so the group shown is the one that includes these ages. They describe groups of people, not any one person. Checked 23 October 2026.
Income for July 2020 to June 2021. Census 2021 linked with tax and payment records. The ABS cautions that incomes for older age groups are likely under-recorded.
30 June 2024. Per account, not per person, because many people hold more than one account. Median is the middle account; average is pulled up by large balances.
2019–20 financial year. By age of the household's reference person, as shown in the ABS graph. The ABS page does not say whether the values are averages or medians, so treat them as indicative.
2019–20. Share of all recent first home buyers in this age group (age of the household reference person). It is not the share of the age group who buy.
Census 2021. Share of people in the age group who lived alone.
2024. Births per 1,000 women in the age group.
2022. Share of people in the age group who provide informal care. About 11.9% of all Australians living in households (3.0 million) were carers.
2022. Share of people in the age group with disability. Overall 21.4% of Australians (5.5 million) had disability in 2022.
Dollar figures are in the dollars of the year shown. Average and median are not the same: the median is the middle value. Not financial advice.
Illustrative gross incomes: lower about $50,000, middle about $100,000, higher about $200,000 a year. For ages under 18, read these as household incomes. For retirement ages, read them as lower, middle and higher income and savings. They are examples, not official brackets.
Career change may be needed if work is physically demanding or insecure. Reskilling support may be available.
A solid year for saving. Choosing between mortgage repayments and investing is a common decision.
Strong income allows both an offset account and portfolio growth. Retirement planning can start early.