Where the national average sits
The starting point for any salary comparison in Australia is the national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings. According to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, that figure is $2,083.70 per week. Multiplied by 52 weeks, that works out to about $108,352 per year before tax. This is the line that Place a salary on the line uses as its benchmark.
The ABS also publishes medians, which give a better sense of the typical worker. For all employees (full-time and part-time), the median weekly earnings in August 2025 were $1,436, or about $74,100 a year. For full-time employees only, the median was about $1,741 per week, or roughly $90,532 a year. These medians are lower than the averages because high earners pull the average up.
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week, which is about $52,255 per year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% at the same time.
What we know about hedge fund manager pay
Unlike many occupations, there is no official average or median salary for hedge fund managers published by the ABS, Fair Work, or the ATO. The ABS does not break down earnings by such a specific role. Hedge fund managers are a small, specialised group, and their pay is typically set by individual arrangement in the private sector.
The only public sector benchmark
The closest thing to a public figure comes from the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal. In December 2024, the Tribunal provided advice to the Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC) on an appropriate total remuneration package (TRP) for the position of Head of Hedge Funds. The Tribunal advised that a TRP of up to $400,000 was appropriate for that role, which sits in the PESES-1 remuneration band (maximum $279,238). The advice cited the specialised skills required, market conditions, and benchmarking against comparable investment roles.
This figure of $400,000 is for a specific public sector role in Victoria. It is not a national average, but it is the only named, verifiable figure for a hedge fund manager position in Australia from an official source.
Private sector and market conditions
Private sector hedge fund managers in Australia are likely to earn significantly more than the public sector benchmark, especially those at large funds or with strong performance records. However, no official data exists. The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey for May 2025 shows that the highest-paid occupation group is Managers, with a median hourly earnings of $69.20. But that broad category includes many roles far removed from hedge fund management.
Industry data from the ABS shows that the Financial and Insurance Services sector has a full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings of about $2,300–$2,400, but again, this is an average across all roles in the sector, from tellers to traders.
How it compares to other benchmarks
Even using the public sector figure of $400,000, a hedge fund manager salary sits well above the national full-time average of $108,352. It is also far above the full-time median of about $90,532 and the all-employees median of about $74,100. The gap is even larger when compared to the minimum wage of $52,255.
For context, the highest state full-time average is in the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090, and the lowest is Tasmania at about $96,008. The $400,000 figure is more than three times the ACT average. States and territories shows how each region compares.
If you are considering a hedge fund manager role, it is important to remember that the $400,000 figure is a total remuneration package, which may include superannuation, bonuses, and other benefits. The base salary could be lower. Also, performance-based bonuses are common in the industry and can significantly increase total compensation in good years.
Tax considerations
For the 2026–27 income year, a resident earning $400,000 would face the following marginal tax rates: nil on the first $18,200, 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000, 30% from $45,001 to $135,000, 37% from $135,001 to $190,000, and 45% on income above $190,000. The Medicare levy of 2% applies on top, though some taxpayers may be eligible for reductions. The effective tax rate on $400,000 would be well over 30%, meaning take-home pay is substantially lower.
For more detail on how salary figures are determined and what they include, see How the figures are set. If you want to see where your own salary sits on the line, use the Place a salary on the line tool.
In summary, while there is no official average for hedge fund manager salaries in Australia, the only publicly available figure from a named source is a Victorian public sector role at up to $400,000. That is far above the national full-time average, but private sector roles are likely even higher. Without more comprehensive data, any precise figure for the industry as a whole would be speculative.