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Stage Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a stage manager is $71,800 per annum, before tax, up $15,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Who employs you matters more than the job title: a large subsidised company or a touring producer generally pays better than a small independent or community theatre, and enterprise agreements set minimum rates in many venues.
- Evening, weekend and public holiday work usually attracts penalty rates, which lifts the weekly amount during a season.
- Because many stage managers work production by production, income can stop between contracts, so plenty of them take venue shifts, event work or teaching to fill the gaps.
The median salary rose by $15,000 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 stage manager
The largest typical pay rise is $42,600 a year, moving into Technical Director.
- Technical Director+$42,600/yr
- Event Coordinator+$13,200/yr
- Store Manager+$12,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher stage manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time stage manager salary is $71,800; 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 Operations management tend to command a premium over general stage manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Technical Director pays a typical $42,600 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."
Stage Manager salary questions
How much do stage managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a stage manager is $71,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is stage manager pay rising or falling?
The median stage manager salary is up $15,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than stage manager?
Technical Director pays a typical $42,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to stage manager.
Related salaries
- Technical Director salary
- Production Coordinator salary
- Event Coordinator salary
- Publishing Editor salary
- Store Manager salary
- Lighting Technician 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.