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Financial Counsellor salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a financial counsellor is $56,900 per annum, before tax, up $12,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Most financial counsellors work in not-for-profit community services funded through government programs, so pay tends to follow the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award rather than what the private sector pays for similar skills.
- Your classification under that award, and how many years you have in the sector, move the figure more than performance does.
- Government departments and larger charities generally sit further up the scale than a small local service.
The median salary rose by $12,000 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 financial counsellor
The largest typical pay rise is $57,000 a year, moving into Community Services Manager.
- Community Services Manager+$57,000/yr
- Mediator+$39,300/yr
- Personal Banker+$26,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher financial counsellor salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time financial counsellor salary is $56,900; 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 Budgeting and forecasting and Financial analysis and modelling tend to command a premium over general financial counsellor experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Community Services Manager pays a typical $57,000 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."
Financial Counsellor salary questions
How much do financial counsellors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a financial counsellor is $56,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is financial counsellor pay rising or falling?
The median financial counsellor salary is up $12,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than financial counsellor?
Community Services Manager pays a typical $57,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to financial counsellor.
Related salaries
- Mediator salary
- Personal Banker salary
- Community Services Manager salary
- Housing Officer salary
- Welfare Worker salary
- Case 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.