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Program Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a program manager is $111,800 per annum, before tax, up $23,100 since 2018.
What you earn as a program manager moves most with the sector and the scale of the programme: a bank running a multi-year regulatory programme pays in a different band to a mid-sized not-for-profit. Public sector enterprise agreements set the scale, while private employers negotiate individually, and contract or day-rate arrangements usually trade leave and security for a higher rate. Certification such as PgMP or MSP, and a record of programmes actually delivered, are what employers use to place you within that range.
Roles that pay more than program manager
The largest typical pay rise is $60,300 a year, moving into IT Project Manager.
- IT Project Manager+$60,300/yr
- Project Director+$36,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher program manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time program manager salary is $111,800; 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 Project management and Budgeting and forecasting tend to command a premium over general program manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. IT Project Manager pays a typical $60,300 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."
Program Manager salary questions
How much do program managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a program manager is $111,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is program manager pay rising or falling?
The median program manager salary is up $23,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than program manager?
IT Project Manager pays a typical $60,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to program manager.