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Chief Executive Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a chief executive officer is $182,000 per annum, before tax, up $37,900 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay at this level moves with the size of the organisation and its sector, and a listed company, a private firm, a government agency and a charity pay on quite different scales.
- A large part of the package often sits in bonus and equity that vest against performance targets, so what actually lands in a given year can move around.
- Boards benchmark the role against comparable organisations, which is why the same title carries very different numbers.
The median salary rose by $37,900 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 chief executive officer
The largest typical pay rise is $13,100 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$13,100/yr
How to negotiate a higher chief executive officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time chief executive officer salary is $182,000; 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 Strategy development and Financial analysis and modelling tend to command a premium over general chief executive officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $13,100 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."
Chief Executive Officer salary questions
How much do chief executive officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a chief executive officer is $182,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is chief executive officer pay rising or falling?
The median chief executive officer salary is up $37,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than chief executive officer?
Construction Manager pays a typical $13,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to chief executive officer.
Related salaries
- General Manager salary
- Marketing Manager salary
- Management Consultant salary
- Policy and Planning Manager salary
- Construction Manager salary
- Sales Manager 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.