Where the IT manager salary sits against the national full-time average
If you're researching an IT manager salary in Australia, the most recent official data comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Employee Earnings and Hours survey for May 2025. That survey found that full-time ICT managers earned an average of $3,402 per week before tax, or around $177,000 per year. This figure is the average weekly total earnings for the occupation, which includes ordinary time, overtime, and other payments.
To see how that compares, the national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings (the line used on this site) is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That means an IT manager on $177,000 earns roughly 63% more than the typical full-time Australian worker.
How the benchmarks stack up
The table below puts the IT manager salary in context with other key Australian pay benchmarks:
- National full-time average (ordinary time): $108,352 per year
- Full-time median earnings: about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee earnings, August 2025)
- All-employees median earnings: about $74,100 per year (ABS Employee earnings, August 2025)
- National minimum wage (from 1 July 2026): $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week
An IT manager salary is well above all of these. It also exceeds the average for all full-time ICT workers, which was $2,577 per week (about $134,000 per year) in May 2025.
What the data tells us about IT manager pay
The ABS defines ICT managers as those who "plan, organise, direct, control, and coordinate the acquisition, development, maintenance, and use of computer and telecommunication systems within organisations." The data excludes executives or high-level managers with strategic responsibilities or those overseeing a significant number of employees.
It's worth noting that the average IT manager salary has declined in recent years. In May 2023, ICT managers earned an average of $3,584 per week (about $186,000 per year). By May 2025, that had fallen to $3,402 per week – a drop of around $182 per week. The ACS's Information Age reported that this was due to a "middle management squeeze" in the technology sector, with companies reducing spending on senior roles.
Despite the dip, IT manager pay remains among the highest of any occupation in Australia. The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey for May 2025 showed that the occupations with the highest hourly earnings were Managers ($69.20 per hour) and Professionals ($64.50 per hour). ICT managers fall into the Managers category.
Gender pay differences in IT management
Interestingly, the latest ABS data shows that male and female ICT managers earned the same average weekly wage in May 2025 – $3,402 per week. This is unusual, as gender pay gaps persist in many other ICT roles. For example, men earned about 18% more than women in database or systems administrator and ICT security specialist roles, and about 7% more in ICT and telecommunications technician roles.
Nationally, the full-time average weekly ordinary time earnings for men is $2,181.50 (about $113,412 per year) and for women is $1,934.50 (about $100,594 per year), according to ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026. The IT manager role appears to be one where pay equity has been achieved at the average level.
State and territory comparisons
While the national IT manager figure is useful, pay can vary by location. The full-time average weekly ordinary time earnings by state and territory (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026) are:
- Australian Capital Territory: about $119,090 per year
- Western Australia: about $115,825 per year
- New South Wales: about $109,658 per year
- Victoria: about $106,137 per year
- Queensland: about $106,064 per year
- Northern Territory: about $103,173 per year
- South Australia: about $102,450 per year
- Tasmania: about $96,008 per year
An IT manager earning $177,000 nationally would be well above even the highest state average (ACT). However, the ABS does not publish state-level breakdowns for ICT managers specifically, so local variations are not available from this source.
How the figures are set
The IT manager salary figure comes from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, which is conducted every two years. The most recent release was for May 2025. The next release will cover May 2027. In contrast, the national full-time average is updated twice a year (May and November) via the Average Weekly Earnings survey. The minimum wage is set annually by Fair Work, with the current rate effective from 1 July 2026.
For a more detailed look at how salaries are measured, see How the figures are set. You can also Place a salary on the line to see how your own pay compares to the national average.
Summary
The average IT manager salary in Australia is about $177,000 per year, based on the most recent ABS data (May 2025). This is significantly above the national full-time average of $108,352, the full-time median of $90,532, and the minimum wage of $52,255. While the figure has dipped from $186,000 in 2023, it remains one of the highest-paying occupations in the country.
If you're an IT manager or considering the role, these benchmarks give you a clear picture of where your pay sits in the broader Australian labour market.