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Payroll Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a payroll officer is $83,500 per annum, before tax, up $17,600 since 2018.
- Pay moves with the size and complexity of the payroll you run, so a weekly run for several thousand staff under multiple agreements pays more than a small monthly one.
- The sector matters too, because health care, construction and public administration carry shift penalties and enterprise agreements that add to the calculations.
- Experience with the main platforms and certification through a payroll association are the usual ways to lift your rate without changing employer.
The median salary rose by $17,600 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.
Roles that pay more than payroll officer
The largest typical pay rise is $25,700 a year, moving into Payroll Manager.
- Payroll Manager+$25,700/yr
- HR Advisor+$18,900/yr
- Office Manager+$6,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher payroll officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time payroll officer salary is $83,500; 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 Payroll processing and Regulatory compliance tend to command a premium over general payroll officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Payroll Manager pays a typical $25,700 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."
Payroll Officer salary questions
How much do payroll officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a payroll officer is $83,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is payroll officer pay rising or falling?
The median payroll officer salary is up $17,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than payroll officer?
Payroll Manager pays a typical $25,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to payroll officer.
Related salaries
- Payroll Manager salary
- Accounts Officer salary
- Bookkeeper salary
- HR Advisor salary
- Office Manager salary
- HR Administrator 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.