Where the practice manager salary sits against the national full-time average
If you are a practice manager or considering the role, you probably want to know how the pay compares to the typical Australian full-time worker. This page uses the most recent official data to answer that question.
The national benchmark: full-time average earnings
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year. In May 2026, the average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults (seasonally adjusted) was $2,083.70. That works out to about $108,352 a year before tax (multiplied by 52 weeks). This is the line that Average line uses as the national full-time average.
For context, the full-time median (the middle point of all full-time workers) is about $90,532 a year, and the all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100 a year (ABS Employee earnings, August 2025). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or about $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week (Fair Work).
Practice manager median earnings
According to Jobs and Skills Australia, the median weekly earnings for full-time practice managers (ANZSCO 5122) is $1,655. This figure is for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a median, meaning half of practice managers earn more and half earn less.
How does $1,655 compare?
- It is $428.70 below the national full-time average of $2,083.70 per week.
- It is also below the national full-time median of about $1,741 per week (based on $90,532 a year).
- On a yearly basis, $1,655 per week is about $86,060 a year (× 52 weeks). That is about $22,292 less than the national full-time average.
Practice managers work an average of 42 hours per week full-time, and 68% of practice managers work full-time hours. The median hourly earnings for the occupation are $46, which is above the national median hourly earnings of $42.90 (ABS Characteristics of Employment, August 2025). So while the weekly figure is lower than the national average, the hourly rate is slightly higher – likely because practice managers work fewer hours on average than the national full-time average of 44 hours.
Who are practice managers?
The occupation is overwhelmingly female – 86% of practice managers are women. The median age is 44 years, compared to 39 for all occupations. This is a mature, experienced workforce. The data comes from the ABS Labour Force Survey and the Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours.
State and territory differences
Full-time average earnings vary across Australia, and practice manager salaries are likely to follow similar patterns. The national full-time averages by state (from ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026) are:
- New South Wales: about $109,658 a year
- Victoria: about $106,137
- Queensland: about $106,064
- South Australia: about $102,450
- Western Australia: about $115,825
- Tasmania: about $96,008
- Northern Territory: about $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: about $119,090
If you work in a state with a higher cost of living or stronger demand, your practice manager salary may be higher than the national median. For more detail, see our States and territories page.
How your salary compares on the line
Average line lets you Place a salary on the line to see exactly where it sits against the national full-time average. You can enter your yearly before-tax salary and see the weekly and hourly equivalents (based on a 38-hour week), plus the distance from the average.
Tax on a practice manager salary
For the 2026–27 income year, the resident tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (before any reductions). A practice manager earning the median of about $86,060 would fall in the 30% bracket. After tax and Medicare, take-home pay would be roughly $67,000 (estimate only; individual circumstances vary).
Important notes on the data
The practice manager median of $1,655 is from Jobs and Skills Australia, sourced from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025. It is the most recent available figure for this occupation. The national full-time average of $2,083.70 is from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026. These are different measures (median vs average) and different reference periods, so direct comparison should be treated as indicative.
For a deeper look at how these figures are collected, see How the figures are set.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary for a practice manager in Australia? The median weekly earnings for full-time practice managers is $1,655, according to Jobs and Skills Australia. This is below the national full-time average of $2,083.70 per week.
How does practice manager pay compare to other occupations? Practice managers earn a median hourly rate of $46, slightly above the national median hourly earnings of $42.90. However, their weekly median is lower than the national full-time median of about $1,741 per week.
What factors affect practice manager salaries? Experience, location, and industry all play a role. Practice managers work an average of 42 hours per week full-time. State full-time averages vary, with the ACT highest and Tasmania lowest. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour.