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Security Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a security manager is $113,400 per annum, before tax, up $23,900 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay varies more by employer than by job title.
- Government agencies and defence contractors pay against enterprise agreements with defined increments, while commercial guarding contracts run on tight margins that hold salaries down.
- Shift rosters, on-call duties, the size of the site or portfolio you manage, and holding a higher class of security licence all push earnings up.
The median salary rose by $23,900 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 security manager
The largest typical pay rise is $53,000 a year, moving into Correctional Facility Manager.
- Correctional Facility Manager+$53,000/yr
- Airport Manager+$11,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher security manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time security manager salary is $113,400; 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 Security operations and Risk and internal controls tend to command a premium over general security manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Correctional Facility Manager pays a typical $53,000 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."
Security Manager salary questions
How much do security managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a security manager is $113,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is security manager pay rising or falling?
The median security manager salary is up $23,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than security manager?
Correctional Facility Manager pays a typical $53,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to security manager.
Related salaries
- Security Consultant salary
- Facilities Manager salary
- Correctional Facility Manager salary
- Airport Manager salary
- Security Guard salary
- Loss Prevention 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.