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Non-Executive Director salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a non-executive director is $145,600 per annum, before tax, up $30,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Fees depend heavily on the type and size of organisation, so a listed company directorship and a community not-for-profit board sit at very different points.
- Chairing a committee such as audit or risk usually attracts a fee on top of the base director's fee, and a director who holds several appointments earns from each of them.
- Most directorships are part-time roles held alongside other work, so annual earnings reflect how many boards someone sits on as much as the rate for any one of them.
The median salary rose by $30,600 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 non-executive director salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time non-executive director salary is $145,600; 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 Risk and internal controls tend to command a premium over general non-executive director 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."
Non-Executive Director salary questions
How much do non-executive directors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a non-executive director is $145,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is non-executive director pay rising or falling?
The median non-executive director salary is up $30,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
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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.