Secretary salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a secretary is $84,600 per annum, before tax, up $17,900 since 2018.
- Pay depends heavily on the industry and on how much responsibility the role carries, so a secretary supporting a team in a large professional services firm usually earns more than one in a small business.
- Some employers pay above the award through an enterprise agreement, and specialised roles in law or medicine sit higher because of the knowledge they require.
- Moving into an executive assistant or office manager role is the usual way earnings grow from here.
The median salary rose by $17,900 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 secretary
The largest typical pay rise is $24,800 a year, moving into Company Secretary.
- Company Secretary+$24,800/yr
- Personal Assistant+$10,700/yr
- Executive Assistant+$10,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher secretary salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time secretary salary is $84,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Company Secretary pays a typical $24,800 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."
Secretary salary questions
How much do secretarys earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a secretary is $84,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is secretary pay rising or falling?
The median secretary salary is up $17,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than secretary?
Company Secretary pays a typical $24,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to secretary.
Related salaries
- Office Manager salary
- Personal Assistant salary
- Executive Assistant salary
- Legal Secretary salary
- Company Secretary salary
- Administration Officer 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.