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Construction Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a construction manager is $195,100 per annum, before tax, up $40,300 since 2018.
- The size and type of project decide the figure, with large civil and infrastructure packages paying above residential building work.
- Ask whether site allowances, travel and project bonuses sit on top of the base salary, and whether a quoted figure assumes the long hours the role usually involves.
- A manager running one high-value project can be on a very different package from someone delivering many small jobs, so it pays to ask what you'd be responsible for.
The median salary rose by $40,300 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 construction manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time construction manager salary is $195,100; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Construction Managers are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Project management and Budgeting and forecasting tend to command a premium over general construction manager 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."
Construction Manager salary questions
How much do construction managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a construction manager is $195,100 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is construction manager pay rising or falling?
The median construction manager salary is up $40,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
Related salaries
- General Manager salary
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- Builder salary
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- Carpenter salary
- Construction Estimator 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.