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Store Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a store manager is $84,200 per annum, before tax, up $17,700 since 2018.
- Pay follows the retail award or an enterprise agreement, so weekend, evening and public holiday penalty rates add to a base salary, and larger chains often add a bonus tied to sales and wage targets.
- Department and supermarket managers usually sit well above the award floor because they carry bigger rosters and turnover, while a single-site boutique or cafe may pay less for the same title.
The median salary rose by $17,700 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 store manager
The largest typical pay rise is $55,000 a year, moving into Sales Manager.
- Sales Manager+$55,000/yr
- Marketing Manager+$55,000/yr
- Customer Experience Manager+$30,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher store manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time store manager salary is $84,200; 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 Operations management and Budgeting and forecasting tend to command a premium over general store manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Sales Manager pays a typical $55,000 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."
Store Manager salary questions
How much do store managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a store manager is $84,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is store manager pay rising or falling?
The median store manager salary is up $17,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than store manager?
Sales Manager pays a typical $55,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to store manager.
Related salaries
- Sales Manager salary
- Marketing Manager salary
- Customer Experience Manager salary
- Restaurant Manager salary
- Retail Supervisor salary
- Retail Assistant 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.