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Systems Administrator salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a systems administrator is $128,000 per annum, before tax, up $27,200 since 2018.
- Pay moves with the sector and the size of the employer, so government departments and large enterprises usually work under an enterprise agreement with defined increments, while managed service providers often pay less for the same title.
- Certifications in cloud platforms and virtualisation can lift what an employer offers, and on-call allowances and after-hours penalty rates add to a base salary.
- In a small IT team you may cover everything, while specialists in larger organisations are paid for depth in one area.
The median salary rose by $27,200 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 systems administrator
The largest typical pay rise is $3,900 a year, moving into DevOps Engineer.
- DevOps Engineer+$3,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher systems administrator salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time systems administrator salary is $128,000; 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 Cloud infrastructure and Networks and systems administration tend to command a premium over general systems administrator experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. DevOps Engineer pays a typical $3,900 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."
Systems Administrator salary questions
How much do systems administrators earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a systems administrator is $128,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is systems administrator pay rising or falling?
The median systems administrator salary is up $27,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than systems administrator?
DevOps Engineer pays a typical $3,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to systems administrator.
Related salaries
- Network Engineer salary
- Database Administrator salary
- Cyber Security Analyst salary
- DevOps Engineer salary
- Cloud Engineer salary
- IT Support 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.