IT Manager Salary: Awards vs National Minimum Wage
What does an IT manager earn in Australia? Compare IT manager salary against awards and the national minimum wage. See median weekly earnings and salary index.
ICT Managers earn a median of $3,534 per week (index ~170), well above the national minimum wage of $1,005 per week (index 48).
What does an IT manager earn in Australia?
If you're asking about an IT manager salary, the short answer is that it sits well above the national minimum wage and most award rates. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data reported by Jobs and Skills Australia, ICT Managers (ANZSCO 1351) earn a median full-time weekly income of $3,534. That's before tax, and it translates to an annualised figure of roughly $183,768. On the Salary Index, where 100 equals full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $108,352 per year, an IT manager's median pay comes in at an index of about 170.
To put that in perspective, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week – an index of just 48.2. Even the average weekly total cash earnings for all Managers (a broader group that includes IT managers) was $2,800.90 in May 2025, according to the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey. That's still an index of about 134.
Awards versus the national minimum wage
The writing angle here is awards versus the national minimum wage. For most Australian employees, a modern award sets the minimum pay and conditions. But IT managers are a different story. The Fair Work Commission's modern awards pay database does not list a specific award for ICT Managers. Why? Because managerial employees – especially those who plan, organise and control IT systems – are typically not covered by awards. Their role involves strategic responsibility, which takes them out of award coverage.
Instead, IT manager salaries are set by individual arrangement or, less commonly, by an enterprise agreement. The ABS reports that individual arrangement is the most common method of setting pay across all employees (38.5% in May 2025), and it's even more dominant for managers. That means your IT manager salary is negotiated directly with the employer, not dictated by an award.
That said, the national minimum wage still acts as a floor. No employee can be paid less than the national minimum wage, but for an IT manager earning $3,534 per week, that floor is irrelevant. The real benchmark is the market rate.
How the salary index works
The Salary Index compares any gross annual salary to the national line of $108,352 (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). To calculate the index for an IT manager: take the annualised median of $183,768, divide by $108,352, and multiply by 100. That gives you 169.6 – nearly 70% above the national average.
For comparison, the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry – a major employer of IT managers – has an index of 114.7. The Mining industry leads at 154.7, but IT managers in mining can earn even more.
Where IT managers work
ICT Managers are concentrated in three main industries:
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- Public Administration and Safety
- Financial and Insurance Services
These industries tend to pay above-average salaries. For example, the Finance and Insurance Services industry had average weekly total cash earnings of $2,181.20 in May 2025 (index 104.8). But IT managers in that industry would earn more than the industry average.
State-by-state, the Salary Index shows that the ACT (109.9), Western Australia (106.9), and New South Wales (101.2) have higher overall earnings, which can push IT manager salaries even higher in those locations.
What about super and tax?
Super guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2026, applied to ordinary time earnings up to $270,830. For an IT manager earning $183,768, that means an extra $22,052 in super each year. On the tax side, using 2026–27 resident rates (excluding Medicare), an IT manager on $183,768 would fall into the 37% marginal tax bracket (income between $135,001 and $190,000). After the tax-free threshold, 15% on the first bracket, 30% on the next, and 37% on the rest, plus a 2% Medicare levy, the take-home pay would be roughly $126,000 per year – but that's a rough estimate ignoring HELP loans or salary sacrifice.
The bottom line
An IT manager salary in Australia is well above the national minimum wage and award rates. If you're comparing a job offer, use the pay guides and the Salary Index to see where it sits against the national line. Remember that individual negotiation is key – there's no award to fall back on, so your skills, experience, and the industry you work in will determine the final figure.
Questions people ask
Is an IT manager covered by a modern award?
Most IT managers are not covered by a modern award because they are managerial employees with strategic responsibilities. The Fair Work Commission's modern awards pay database does not list a specific award for ICT Managers. Instead, their pay is typically set by individual agreement or an enterprise agreement. If an IT manager performs duties that fall under a professional classification (e.g., in the Professional Employees Award), they may be covered, but this is rare for senior managerial roles.
How does an IT manager salary compare to the national minimum wage?
An IT manager's salary far exceeds the national minimum wage. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week (index 48.2). In contrast, the median full-time weekly earnings for ICT Managers is $3,534 (index ~170). That's about 3.5 times the national minimum wage. Even the average weekly total cash earnings for all Managers ($2,800.90) is nearly three times the minimum.
What is the typical pay setting method for IT managers?
According to ABS data for May 2025, individual arrangement is the most common method of setting pay for all employees (38.5%), followed by collective agreement (34.6%). For managers, individual arrangement is even more prevalent. IT managers are often on individual contracts that include a base salary, superannuation, and sometimes bonuses or performance incentives. Award coverage is minimal, so pay is negotiated directly with the employer.