Home Catering Manager Salary
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.
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.
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.