Sales manager salary vs the national average
If you are wondering how a sales manager salary stacks up against the typical Australian full-time wage, the short answer is that it sits well above the national average. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish a separate earnings figure for sales managers, but the broader occupation category of Managers provides a reliable benchmark.
The national full-time average
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 reports that full-time adult ordinary time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week. That works out to about $108,352 a year when multiplied by 52 weeks. This figure is the line used on this site to compare any salary. It is an average of all full-time adults across all industries and occupations, so it includes both high and low earners.
Where sales managers fit
Sales managers are classified under the Managers occupation group in the ABS classification system. The most recent Employee Earnings and Hours survey, for May 2025, gives the average weekly total cash earnings for all employees in the Managers occupation as $2,800.90. Annualised, that is approximately $145,647. This figure includes both full-time and part-time managers, so full-time sales managers would likely earn more. For a more homogeneous group, the ABS also provides data for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate – a category that still includes some managers – and here the average weekly total cash earnings for Managers was $2,688.70, or about $139,812 per year.
Both figures are substantially above the national full-time average of $108,352. This suggests that a typical sales manager earns a premium over the average worker, reflecting the responsibility and experience required for the role.
Medians and the minimum wage
Averages can be pulled up by very high salaries, so it is also useful to look at medians. The full-time median earnings for all employees is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, which for a 38-hour week comes to $1,004.90 per week or $52,255 per year. Sales managers earn well above all these benchmarks. Even the lowest-paid managers are likely to be above the median, given that the first quartile for full-time male managers (not separately published) would be above the overall median.
State and territory differences
The national full-time average varies across Australia. The Australian Capital Territory has the highest average at about $119,090 per year, followed by Western Australia at $115,825 and New South Wales at $109,658. Tasmania has the lowest at $96,008. Sales manager salaries are likely to follow similar geographic patterns, with higher pay in states where the cost of living and demand for skilled managers are greater.
How pay is set for sales managers
According to the ABS, individual arrangement is the most common method of setting pay for all employees (38.5%), followed by collective agreement (34.6%). For managers, individual arrangements are even more prevalent, meaning sales manager salaries are often negotiated directly with the employer rather than being set by an award or enterprise agreement. This can lead to wider variation in pay compared to award-covered roles.
Using this site to compare
You can Place a salary on the line to see how any specific sales manager salary compares to the national full-time average. The tool will show you the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38-hour week, as well as the distance from the line. For a broader view of how different occupations compare, visit Job medians where you can see median and average earnings for major occupation groups including Managers.
Summary
While the ABS does not provide a dedicated figure for sales managers, the data for the Managers occupation clearly shows that this role pays significantly above the national full-time average. The average weekly earnings for Managers are around $2,800 to $2,700, depending on the measure, compared to the national full-time average of $2,083.70. Sales managers also earn well above the national minimum wage and the median earnings for all employees. For a precise comparison of a specific salary, use the tools on this site.