Where an operations manager salary in Sydney sits against the national average
If you are looking for an operations manager salary in Sydney, the most reliable source is the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The ABS does not publish a specific figure for that role in that city, but it does provide national and state averages that let you see where such a role typically falls.
The national full-time average as a line
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings report for May 2026 gives the national full-time adult ordinary time average at $2,083.70 per week. That is about $108,352 a year before tax (multiply by 52). This site calls that figure the line. Any salary above it is above the national full-time benchmark; anything below is below it.
What the ABS says about Managers
The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey for May 2025 reports that the average weekly total cash earnings for all employees in the Managers occupation is $2,800.90. That is about $145,647 a year. This average includes both full-time and part-time managers, but the vast majority of managers work full-time. The median weekly earnings for full-time males is $1,994 and for full-time females $1,758, but those are medians for all full-time employees, not just managers.
For non-managerial employees (a subset that excludes owner-managers of incorporated enterprises and senior managers with strategic responsibilities), the average hourly total cash earnings for Managers is $69.20 per hour (ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). That is the highest hourly rate of any occupation.
The New South Wales state average
The ABS also publishes average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults by state. For New South Wales, that figure is $2,108.80 per week in May 2026, or about $109,658 a year. That is slightly above the national average. Sydney is the capital of NSW, so this is a useful local benchmark.
How to read the figures
- Full-time adult ordinary time average (national): $2,083.70/week – the line.
- Full-time adult ordinary time average (NSW): $2,108.80/week – a state-level line.
- Managers average weekly total cash earnings (national): $2,800.90/week – well above both lines.
- Median full-time adult weekly earnings (national): $1,887/week – below the line.
- Median all-employees weekly earnings (national): $1,436/week – below the line.
An operations manager in Sydney would almost certainly earn above the national full-time average. The exact amount depends on industry, experience, and the specific employer. The ABS does not break down salaries by city and occupation simultaneously, so you cannot get a precise Sydney operations manager figure from public data.
Other benchmarks
- National minimum wage (from 1 July 2026): $26.44/hour, $1,004.90/week, about $52,255/year. Operations managers earn many times this.
- Award minimums rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026. Most operations managers are covered by individual arrangements or enterprise agreements, not awards.
- Tax rates 2026–27: nil up to $18,200; 15% from $18,201 to $45,000; 30% from $45,001 to $135,000; 37% from $135,001 to $190,000; 45% above $190,000. Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (reductions may apply).
Where to go next
- Place a salary on the line to see how any figure compares to the national full-time average.
- States and territories to compare state-level averages.
- Job medians for median earnings by occupation.
- Industry medians for industry-specific data.
- Guides for more on interpreting salary data.
- How the figures are set for methodology.
- About this site for context.
Summary
An operations manager salary in Sydney is not published as a single number, but the available data strongly suggests it sits well above the national full-time average of $108,352 a year. The national average for Managers is about $145,647, and the NSW full-time average is about $109,658. Use the tools on this site to compare any specific figure you have in mind.