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Project Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a project manager is $110,800 per annum, before tax, up $22,900 since 2018.
- In government and large enterprises, pay usually follows a classification level and an enterprise agreement, so the band you are appointed to matters more than your job title.
- Contract and day-rate roles can pay more than permanent ones, but they carry no paid leave or notice, so compare the whole package.
- When you look at an advertised range, ask what the band tops out at and whether the extra hours a project needs are paid or built into the salary.
The median salary rose by $22,900 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 manager
The largest typical pay rise is $84,300 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$84,300/yr
- IT Project Manager+$61,300/yr
- Policy and Planning Manager+$42,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher project manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time project manager salary is $110,800; 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 project manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $84,300 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."
Project Manager salary questions
How much do project managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a project manager is $110,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is project manager pay rising or falling?
The median project manager salary is up $22,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than project manager?
Construction Manager pays a typical $84,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to project manager.
Related salaries
- Policy and Planning Manager salary
- IT Project Manager salary
- Contract Administrator salary
- Construction Manager salary
- Project Director salary
- Project Coordinator 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.