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Catering Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a catering manager is $65,800 per annum, before tax, up $13,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Who you work for shapes pay more than anything else here: contract caterers, hospitals and aged care providers usually pay set bands under an enterprise agreement, while function centres and smaller operators negotiate individually.
- Evening, weekend and public holiday events generally attract penalty rates, and a manager running a large annual site budget typically earns more than someone handling occasional functions.
- Running your own catering business changes the picture again, because income then depends on how much work you win.
The median salary rose by $13,600 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 catering manager
The largest typical pay rise is $29,200 a year, moving into Hotel Manager.
- Hotel Manager+$29,200/yr
- Club Manager+$26,000/yr
- Cafe Manager+$19,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher catering manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time catering manager salary is $65,800; 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 Food preparation and cooking and Food safety and hygiene tend to command a premium over general catering manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Hotel Manager pays a typical $29,200 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."
Catering Manager salary questions
How much do catering managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a catering manager is $65,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is catering manager pay rising or falling?
The median catering manager salary is up $13,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than catering manager?
Hotel Manager pays a typical $29,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to catering manager.
Related salaries
- Cafe Manager salary
- Hotel Service Manager salary
- Restaurant Manager salary
- Club Manager salary
- Hotel Manager 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.