Gen Z Aussies are the least satisfied when it comes to their salaries, and also the least confident in asking for a pay rise, new research has revealed.
The stats come from Salary Pulse, a just-released report from employment platform SEEK that investigated working-age Aussies’ expectations, behaviours, and confidence levels around their pay in 2026.
It’s filled with a bunch of insights gathered from surveying more than 3,000 employees across generations and industries, but the key finding is that less than half of Gen Z workers (47 per cent) are satisfied with their current salary.
The figure, per the report, means Gen Z is the generation most dissatisfied with their pay, compared to Gen X and Millennial workers.
Gen Zers dissatisfaction with their pay is likely why their expectations of a pay rise are the highest, with 91 per cent of workers in that cohort anticipating a salary bump within the next year.
That stat could be put down to Gen Z workers often being in junior or middle-level roles in the earlier stages of their career, with more of the corporate (and salary) ladder to climb up than their more experienced peers.
Despite the prominent salary dissatisfaction, the SEEK report found that Gen Z are the least confident in asking for a pay rise, with 39 per cent saying they are uncomfortable asking for a raise and more than half (56 per cent) saying they’ve never even asked for one.
But it’s not all just fidgety young employees drafting, then redrafting, then deleting their pay rise emails to their bosses.
The report found that 64 per cent of Gen Zers enjoyed a bump in pay in the last 12 months, with the majority of them (87 per cent) getting that coin within their existing jobs, rather than by changing roles.
Company-wide increases are responsible for half of those pay rises, followed by performance-based boosts (25 per cent).
So you’ve crunched the numbers and are ready to redraft that email — now what?
“Preparation is key,” SEEK career coach Leah Lambart said in the report. “When having the salary conversation, employees should focus on clearly articulating their value, backing it up with results, and keeping the discussion open and constructive.”
If that advice and the SEEK report is the kick you needed to get your bag at work, I’m manifesting big, shiny dollar signs in your future. Now get back into those email drafts and go forth!
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Lead image: Stan
The post Only 47% Of Gen Zers Are Satisfied With Their Salaries, But Most Won’t Ask For A Pay Rise appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
