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Production Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a production manager is $119,500 per annum, before tax, up $25,000 since 2018.
- The sector moves pay more than the title does, since mining and heavy manufacturing generally pay above food, packaging and light assembly work, and remote sites often add allowances on top.
- Shift work and overtime attract penalty rates under most enterprise agreements, so a rotating roster can lift annual earnings well above a standard week.
- Bonuses tied to output, safety or cost targets are common in larger plants and can make up a real part of the package.
The median salary rose by $25,000 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 production manager
The largest typical pay rise is $63,500 a year, moving into Engineering Manager.
- Engineering Manager+$63,500/yr
- General Manager+$28,700/yr
- Logistics Manager+$27,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher production manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time production manager salary is $119,500; 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 Operations management and Process improvement tend to command a premium over general production manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Engineering Manager pays a typical $63,500 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."
Production Manager salary questions
How much do production managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a production manager is $119,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is production manager pay rising or falling?
The median production manager salary is up $25,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than production manager?
Engineering Manager pays a typical $63,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to production manager.
Related salaries
- Operations Manager salary
- Logistics Manager salary
- Supply Chain Manager salary
- General Manager salary
- Engineering Manager salary
- Process Worker 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.