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Finance Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a finance manager is $151,000 per annum, before tax, up $31,400 since 2018.
- Industry moves finance manager pay more than anything else: financial services, mining and professional services pay above the average, while not-for-profits and smaller manufacturers pay below it.
- Bonuses tied to company or individual performance can add a meaningful amount on top of base salary, which is why two people with the same title can earn quite differently.
- Holding a CA or CPA qualification and managing a larger team both tend to push pay up.
The median salary rose by $31,400 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 finance manager
The largest typical pay rise is $101,200 a year, moving into Chief Financial Officer.
- Chief Financial Officer+$101,200/yr
- Chief Executive Officer+$31,000/yr
- Corporate Services Manager+$1,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher finance manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time finance manager salary is $151,000; 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 Financial reporting and Budgeting and forecasting tend to command a premium over general finance manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Chief Financial Officer pays a typical $101,200 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."
Finance Manager salary questions
How much do finance managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a finance manager is $151,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is finance manager pay rising or falling?
The median finance manager salary is up $31,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than finance manager?
Chief Financial Officer pays a typical $101,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to finance manager.
Related salaries
- Chief Financial Officer salary
- Financial Controller salary
- Corporate Services Manager salary
- Chief Executive Officer salary
- General Manager salary
- Accountant 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.