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Office Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an office manager is $90,000 per annum, before tax, up $18,700 since 2018.
- What the role covers moves pay more than the title does.
- Where an office manager handles payroll, budgeting and HR records, employers tend to pay above the award, while a small business where the owner keeps the finances sits closer to it.
- Sector and enterprise agreements shift the figure again, and some positions carry penalty rates or an annual bonus.
The median salary rose by $18,700 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 office manager
The largest typical pay rise is $61,000 a year, moving into Financial Controller.
- Financial Controller+$61,000/yr
- Project Coordinator+$20,800/yr
- Retirement Village Manager+$19,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher office manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time office manager salary is $90,000; 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 Budgeting and forecasting and Regulatory compliance tend to command a premium over general office manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Financial Controller pays a typical $61,000 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."
Office Manager salary questions
How much do office managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an office manager is $90,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is office manager pay rising or falling?
The median office manager salary is up $18,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than office manager?
Financial Controller pays a typical $61,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to office manager.
Related salaries
- Project Coordinator salary
- Facilities Administrator salary
- Executive Assistant salary
- Financial Controller salary
- Retirement Village Manager salary
- Administration Officer 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.