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Cafe Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a cafe manager is $85,500 per annum, before tax, up $18,100 since 2018.
- Pay follows the venue more than the job title.
- Independent cafes often pay close to the hospitality award, while larger groups, hotels and venues with a liquor licence tend to pay above it, and some managers earn a bonus tied to wage or sales targets.
- Long weeks are common, so it is worth asking about ordinary hours and any penalty or overtime arrangements before comparing two offers.
The median salary rose by $18,100 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than cafe manager
The largest typical pay rise is $9,500 a year, moving into Hotel Manager.
- Hotel Manager+$9,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher cafe manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time cafe manager salary is $85,500; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Rostering and venue operations and Operations management tend to command a premium over general cafe manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Hotel Manager pays a typical $9,500 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Cafe Manager salary questions
How much do cafe managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a cafe manager is $85,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is cafe manager pay rising or falling?
The median cafe manager salary is up $18,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than cafe manager?
Hotel Manager pays a typical $9,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to cafe manager.
Related salaries
- Hotel Manager salary
- Store Manager salary
- Amusement Centre Manager salary
- Waiter salary
- Barista salary
- Chef salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.