Annualised MTAWE figure
The annualised MTAWE figure is a central benchmark in the child support system. MTAWE stands for Male Total Average Weekly Earnings. The annualised figure links the formula to average wages across Australia, so thresholds move with real earnings over time.
Using MTAWE keeps assessments current. If you are wondering whether child support amounts reflect today’s living standards, this is the mechanism that keeps them aligned.
Key takeaways for parents
The use of average weekly earnings keeps the child support scheme calibrated with Australian income levels, especially how much it costs for a parent to support themselves.
- Annual MTAWE updates help ensure measures such as the self-support amount keep pace with average wages rather than becoming outdated; and
- Changes to your child support are usually driven much more by changes to parents’ reported incomes than by the annual MTAWE update.
The annual adjustment is generally subtle. MTAWE updates the benchmarks used in the formula rather than directly indexing child support payments.
What the figure means
The annualised MTAWE figure is used for:
- the self-support amount
- the Costs of the Child (COTC) Table income bands
- default income (two-thirds MTAWE)
The annualised MTAWE figure is the trend MTAWE figure for the relevant June quarter multiplied by 52.
The relevant June quarter is the quarter ending on 30 June of the calendar year ending before the start of the child support period. For example, the quarter ending 30 June 2022 is the relevant June quarter for child support periods starting in 2023.
Definition source: Guides to Social Policy Law, Child Support Guide, Annualised MTAWE figure.
How MTAWE affects the formula
The annualised MTAWE figure does not appear in your assessment result, but it drives some parameters used in the formula. It sets the scale for how much income is considered necessary for a parent to support themselves, and how child costs are calculated across income ranges.
Because the figure is based on average weekly earnings, it rises over time as wages increase. Wage-based indexation prevents the system from drifting out of date. Without it, thresholds and cost tables would become disconnected from real incomes.
Once calculated, the annualised figure feeds into other parts of the formula:
Annualised MTAWE also determines the income bands used in the Costs of the Child tables, which are used to work out the annual cost of raising the children.
For example, in 2026 the annualised MTAWE figure is $93,137, which sets the scale for multiple parts of the calculation.
The result is a system that automatically adjusts with wage inflation. As incomes rise across the economy, the child support formula updates with them. Annual adjustment keeps the balance between parent income and child costs consistent over time, rather than locking the system to outdated dollar values.