Pay by Role
Education · Australia

Professor Salary in Sydney, NSW

The average professor in Sydney, NSW earns $120,057 per year — about $7,356 /mo after a simplified national tax estimate. Professors teach at the college level and often conduct original research in their field.

Showing amounts in USD (USD default; source data is AUD). FX as of Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies

After tax?

$88,587/yr

~26% effective national income tax on the median. Excludes most payroll/social levies and local taxes.

Open prefilled calculator →

Afford rent?

$1,652/mo 1BR

About 22% of estimated take-home — ~$3,879 leftover /mo after modeled costs. Modeled, not a listing.

Cost of living calculator →

Compared with…?

% vs Sydney median (FX-adjusted abroad).

Average salary
$120,057
gross / year
Est. take-home
$88,587
~26% effective tax
Hourly equivalent
$58.29
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
vs. Australia avg
-26%
below average

Gross salary figures come from public labour-market data. Take-home, rent, savings, inflation, and trends are simplified models for research — not payroll, listings, or immigration advice. Methodology.

Professor salary range in Sydney

Pay varies with experience, employer, and specialization. Here is the typical distribution for this role in Sydney, NSW.

$90,91010TH$103,40225TH$120,057MEDIAN$139,48875TH$159,61390TH
Estimated pay distribution — the curve peaks at the median and widens with the pay range.
PercentileAnnual salary
10th percentile (entry)$90,910
25th percentile$103,402
Median (50th)typical$120,057
75th percentile$139,488
90th percentile (senior)$159,613

How does your salary compare?

Enter what you earn (or an offer) to see where it ranks for a professor in Sydney, NSW.

Your percentile
50th

$120,057 puts you in the 50th percentile. You earn more than about 50% of professors in Sydney, NSW. That’s right around the typical pay for this role.

$90,910$120,057$159,613

Salary insights

A typical professor in Sydney, NSW earns about $173,000 a year and pays about 26% below the Australia average. Living costs sit near the global baseline (COL index 100). After a simplified tax estimate, typical rent, and everyday costs, a median earner might keep around $5,590 per month. Relative to the national median (a common remote/location-flexible benchmark), this city pays less by about 26%. An illustrative model tied to local inflation and the role’s outlook suggests pay has risen about 15% over the last few years. Treat every figure as an estimate for research — not a personal offer or immigration advice.

Data-grounded summary from this page’s pay, COL, tax, and trend models — not a generative essay unrelated to the figures.

Cost of living, rent & savings

Sydney’s cost of living is 100 vs. a baseline of 100 (US national average). After adjusting for local prices, the median professor salary is worth about $120,057 in baseline-priced terms.

Est. rent (1BR)
$1,652/mo
Other living costs
$1,853/mo
Savings potential
$3,879/mo after tax & costs

Rent and leftover use a COL-scaled single-adult model and the same simplified tax estimate as above (Australia resident income tax (2025–26); excludes Medicare levy.). Adjust assumptions in the COL calculator.

Inflation

Approximate recent consumer-price inflation in Australia is about 2.8% per year. Use the inflation calculator to adjust a past salary or offer for purchasing power.

Remote equivalent

The Australia national median for this role is about $162,389— a common benchmark for remote or location-flexible offers. Local Sydney pay is 26% lower.

Historical trend

Illustrative median pay over the last few years — about +15% across the window.

$104,234
2022
$107,982
2023
$111,868
2024
$115,893
2025
$120,057
2026

Illustrative model based on approximate inflation and the role’s long-term outlook — not a surveyed year-by-year history.

Visa information

Skills in Demand / employer nomination

Temporary and permanent skilled visas usually require an occupation on a skills list, skills assessment, and (for many streams) an employer sponsor.

Difficulty for typical skilled hires: moderate. General orientation only — confirm on the official Australia immigration site before relocating or accepting an offer.

Compare Professor pay

See how a professor stacks up against similar education roles in Australia.

What’s your take-home?

Calculator opens with this page’s median ($120,057) and Australia tax model — tweak hours, period, or offer amount.

Professor salary in other Australia cities

Same role, different city — % gap is vs Sydney.

CityMedian
Newcastle, NSW$162,389/yr
Canberra, ACT$162,389/yr
Sunshine Coast, QLD$162,389/yr
Wollongong, NSW$162,389/yr
Hobart, TAS$162,389/yr
Darwin, NT$162,389/yr
Mackay, QLD$162,389/yr
Melbourne, VIC$115,199/yr

Professor salary in other countries

Capital/largest city sample for each market. % gap converts foreign medians into AUD before comparing with Sydney.

CountryLocal median
Indonesia flagIndonesiae.g. Jakarta$12,995/yr
Vietnam flagVietname.g. Hanoi$13,951/yr
Argentina flagArgentinae.g. Buenos Aires$13,824/yr
India flagIndiae.g. Mumbai$16,965/yr
Philippines flagPhilippinese.g. Quezon$17,059/yr
South Africa flagSouth Africae.g. Johannesburg$25,195/yr
Colombia flagColombiae.g. Bogotá$26,136/yr
Thailand flagThailande.g. Bangkok$27,594/yr
Brazil flagBrazile.g. São Paulo$33,062/yr
Turkey flagTurkeye.g. Istanbul$36,150/yr

Related Education jobs in Sydney

Job openings & next moves

Sponsored

Browse live job openings for this role, or close the skills gap that separates the median from the top percentiles.

Calculators and comparisons to dig into take-home pay, living costs, and period conversions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average professor salary in Sydney, NSW?
The average professor salary in Sydney, NSW is about $173,000 per year, or roughly $84.00 per hour.
What is the salary range for a professor in Sydney, NSW?
Most professor salaries in Sydney, NSW fall between $131,000 (entry level) and $230,000 (senior level). The 25th–75th percentile band is $149,000 to $201,000.
How much does a professor make per month in Sydney, NSW?
A typical professor in Sydney, NSW earns about $14,400 per month before tax, based on the annual median of $173,000.
How does Sydney, NSW pay compare to the Australia average?
Sydney, NSW pays about 26% below the Australia average for a professor.
What is the cost-of-living-adjusted professor salary in Sydney, NSW?
After adjusting for local prices (cost-of-living index 100, where 100 is the US baseline), the median professor salary in Sydney, NSW is worth roughly $173,000 in US-baseline terms.
What skills do professors need?
Common skills for a professor include Lecturing, Research, Publishing, Mentoring, Grants. Actual requirements vary by employer and seniority.
Is professor a growing career?
Employment for professor roles is projected to change by about +8% over the next decade. Local demand in Sydney, NSW can differ from the national outlook.
What is take-home pay for a professor in Sydney, NSW?
A simplified national income-tax estimate puts median take-home near $127,652 per year (about $10,600 per month), or roughly 26% effective tax on the gross median. Real net pay varies with local taxes, benefits, and filing status.
How much rent might a professor pay in Sydney, NSW?
A modeled modest 1-bedroom runs about $2,380 per month in Sydney, NSW, scaled from a US baseline by the local cost-of-living index (100). Actual listings vary by neighborhood and size.
Where do these Sydney, NSW salary figures come from?
Figures on Pay by Role are aggregated from public labour-market salary APIs, shown in AUD, and refreshed periodically. They are estimates for informational purposes only and are not a guarantee of individual pay.