A young Aussie is going viral for claiming that $37,500 isn’t a liveable salary in Australia in 2025.
Alice Raspin, 28, took to social media to declare that “wages that don’t match inflation are out” for the New Year.
According to the Wage Price Index update in September 2024, the consumer price index rose 2.8 percent but wage growth outpaced it at 3.5 percent
Raspin said that in this economy, she’s not “doing anything” for $37,500 a year and explained that, as a woman in her late twenties living in a capital city, that is not a wage she’d consider sustainable.
“How do people expect to compensate someone 75 hours a fortnight for $37,500? What bills am I paying with that?” she asked.
Raspin said that any company advertising a full-time job at $37,500 per year in 2025 is straight-up “dreaming” if it thinks it is a reasonable wage.
In the comments, Raspin clarified that she wasn’t talking about her own wage but just pointing out that a $37k salary isn’t enough in 2025.
“I don’t care how much you make, if it’s less than $60,000 [$37,500 USD] a year get a new job,” she advised.
The 28-year-old elaborated the point further to news.com.au and said she thinks the $37,500 mark is “suitable” for people in their early twenties who have flatmates and don’t have kids, but not for anyone older.
“When you’re 28, have a child, and you’re living out of home, nothing under $45,000 is going to cut it,” she said.
Raspin said she’s “not anxious” about money but that is only because she’s formed good habits and learned to plan ahead.
“While we don’t struggle to afford anything, we’ve had to sacrifice a social life in order to pay bills, save for a house and pay for day-to-day expenses,” she explained.
Raspin’s opinion amassed over 200,000 views online and sparked a big debate about an acceptable salary in 2025.
One shared that she’d just turned down a government job because the wage was $50,000, which made her say, “Sorry, what?”
Someone else said that “$125k is the new $65k,” and Raspin replied that she “strongly agrees” with that opinion.
One claimed that she wouldn’t consider getting “out of bed” for anything less than a six-figure salary of $100,000 and someone else posted a crying face to express their horror at seeing an admin job advertised on SEEK for $25,000.
“I’m so over wages not matching the cost of living crisis,” someone else complained, and another said earning $100,000 is now like earning $50,000.
Someone else shared that the minimum you should want to earn is $125,000, while another revealed they were only earning $45,000 per year and another said she was feeling “ripped off” because she works full-time and only makes $70,000.
One shared that they were currently earning $60,000 and said the wage meant they were “struggling” to make ends meet and are left with only $100 a fortnight.
In November the Reserve Bank of Australia forecasted that there will be a decline in wage growth over the next two years.
It is expecting the national unemployment rate to rise, particularly due to a reduction in immigration in the coming months.
The unemployment rate is broadly unchanged, although it is tipped to rise by 0.1 percent.
While Aussies are likely to keep their job, the RBA is forecasting household wage growth to fall, putting pressure on already stretched budgets.
Money expert at Finder Rebecca Pike said that $37,500 isn’t a blanket unliveable wage in Australia.
“The cost of living varies drastically. In some areas, $37k might provide a comfortable lifestyle, while in others, it might be challenging to make ends meet,” she told news.com.au.
Pike said that a single person might live comfortably on $37,500, but a family of four could struggle at the same wage.
“Factors like housing costs, healthcare, existing debts, and childcare will significantly impact how far this income can stretch,” she said.
“While it may provide a comfortable living in some areas, in others, it may be challenging to meet basic needs and save for the future.”
