NBN Co, Australia’s national broadband network company, has revealed that its median salary at the beginning of 2023 was $147,511, which the company claims reflects its need for highly sought-after technical skills.
The figure was provided in response to a question about the average wage of an NBN worker from Senator Sarah Hanson-Young during estimates.
However, the average wage for the last financial year, based on the annual report, was $140,958. This number is not surprising, given that the largest proportion of NBN Co staff fall into the salary band of $100,001 to $200,000 per year.
NBN Co noted that the median amount includes money that was previously “at risk” – dependent on the company’s performance – and is now part of base salaries. The company made this change in response to a controversy over millions of dollars being paid in this way, and the government subsequently changed its guidance.
The median salary figure was released to demonstrate that NBN Co needs highly skilled employees, such as cybersecurity experts, software and network engineers, and design and construction specialists. While salaries at NBN Co are typically above average, they are not at the top end of the scale, according to feedback on Glassdoor over several years.
