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Project Director salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a project director is $148,200 per annum, before tax, up $30,700 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay at this level depends heavily on the sector and the size of what you are delivering: construction, resources and financial services tend to pay above government and not-for-profit employers.
- Directors on fixed-term contracts often earn more than permanent staff, because the role ends with the program, and bonuses tied to delivery milestones or project margins are common in the private sector.
- Public sector packages usually follow an enterprise agreement with less room to negotiate, so the same job title can carry quite different packages.
The median salary rose by $30,700 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 project director
The largest typical pay rise is $23,900 a year, moving into Chief Information Officer.
- Chief Information Officer+$23,900/yr
- IT Project Manager+$23,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher project director salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time project director salary is $148,200; 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 Strategy development tend to command a premium over general project director experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Chief Information Officer pays a typical $23,900 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."
Project Director salary questions
How much do project directors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a project director is $148,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is project director pay rising or falling?
The median project director salary is up $30,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than project director?
Chief Information Officer pays a typical $23,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to project director.
Related salaries
- Chief Information Officer salary
- IT Project Manager salary
- Primary Health Network Manager salary
- Solutions Architect salary
- Change Manager salary
- Program Manager 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.