Home Chief Financial Officer Salary
Chief Financial Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a chief financial officer is $252,200 per annum, before tax, up $53,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- At this level the package is shaped by the size and complexity of the organisation as much as by the title, since running finance for a listed company, a bank or a large public entity is a different job from doing it in a small private firm.
- Short-term incentives and long-term share plans usually form a large part of total earnings, so the figure moves with company performance as well as with salary.
- Sector and the scope of reporting obligations also affect what employers will pay.
The median salary rose by $53,600 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.
How to negotiate a higher chief financial officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time chief financial officer salary is $252,200; 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 Financial reporting and Tax compliance and planning tend to command a premium over general chief financial officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- 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 Financial Officer salary questions
How much do chief financial officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a chief financial officer is $252,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is chief financial officer pay rising or falling?
The median chief financial officer salary is up $53,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
Related salaries
- Chief Operating Officer salary
- Financial Controller salary
- Finance Manager salary
- Treasurer salary
- Tax Auditor salary
- Investor Relations 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.