What the $80,700 figure means
The $80,700 figure is modelled from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, and moved forward to 2026 with a wage index. It is an estimate, and it is not an award rate. Use it as a guide to the going rate for full-time work, not as a promise of what any one agency will pay.
The figure covers more than property managers. Property managers sit in ANZSCO unit group 6121, Real Estate Sales Agents. That group also includes business brokers, agency principals, real estate agents and real estate representatives. Sales commissions and principals' earnings sit in the same pool, so the figure tells you less about a property manager's base salary than it seems to. The government's Jobs and Skills profile for property managers alone shows median weekly earnings as N/A.
The award minimum
Most employees in agencies are covered by the Real Estate Industry Award 2020 (MA000106). From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, the full-time adult minimums are $1,010.60 a week for Level 1 in the first 12 months, $1,063.90 after that, $1,119.10 at Level 2, $1,231.00 at Level 3 and $1,287.30 at Level 4. Ordinary hours are 38 a week.
Your employer must tell you your classification in writing when you start and whenever it changes. Ask for it. Jobs and Skills Australia reports that full-time property managers work an average of 42 hours a week. Hours past 38 matter if you are paid close to the award. Junior rates apply under 21.
What moves property manager pay
State is the clearest driver in the data. Modelled 2026 figures range from about $71,400 in Tasmania to $88,400 in Western Australia. The ACT ($88,000) and NT ($83,000) also sit above the national figure. NSW is about $81,200, Queensland $79,900, Victoria $79,600 and South Australia $76,200.
Portfolio size and complexity also count. A manager who runs more properties, or higher-value ones, brings in more management fee income for the agency, and that gives them room to negotiate. The step up to senior property manager or head of department adds staff supervision, which lines up with the award's supervisory and in-charge levels. No reliable public figure links pay to a set number of properties, so test any offer against your actual workload.
Commercial work and BDM commission
The ABS-based estimate is the same for commercial and residential property management, because both roles sit in the same occupation group. The data cannot split them. Commercial roles often come with larger assets, longer leases and more complex reporting. Treat any claim that commercial always pays more as something to check against real job ads.
Business development managers, who win new management business for an agency, are often paid a base plus commission or bonuses. Commission-only pay under clause 16.7 of the award covers only staff in property sales or in commercial, industrial or retail leasing at Level 2 or above. Residential property managers on salary are not covered by it. A commission-only employee also has to meet strict conditions, including past earnings of at least 125% of their classification rate.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. Refer to the Residential Property Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
State by state
| New South Wales | Modelled 2026 pay for the property manager occupation group is about $81,200 a year. |
|---|---|
| Victoria | Modelled 2026 pay is about $79,600 a year. |
| Queensland | Modelled 2026 pay is about $79,900 a year. |
| Western Australia | Modelled 2026 pay is about $88,400 a year, the highest of any state or territory. |
| South Australia | Modelled 2026 pay is about $76,200 a year. |
| Tasmania | Modelled 2026 pay is about $71,400 a year, the lowest in the country. |
| Australian Capital Territory | Modelled 2026 pay is about $88,000 a year. |
| Northern Territory | Modelled 2026 pay is about $83,000 a year. |
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Questions people ask
What is the minimum wage for a property manager in Australia?
Under the Real Estate Industry Award 2020, the lowest full-time adult rate from 1 July 2026 is $1,010.60 a week, or $26.59 an hour, for Level 1 in the first 12 months. That works out to about $52,551 a year. The top award level, Level 4, is $1,287.30 a week.
Is the $80,700 figure just for property managers?
No. It covers ANZSCO unit group 6121, Real Estate Sales Agents. That group includes property managers along with sales agents, representatives, business brokers and agency principals. Jobs and Skills Australia does not publish a separate median for property managers.
Which state pays property managers the most?
On modelled 2026 figures, Western Australia is highest at about $88,400 a year, followed closely by the ACT at about $88,000. Tasmania is lowest at about $71,400. These state figures are estimates built from national ABS data.
Can a residential property manager be paid commission-only?
Not under the award's commission-only clause. Clause 16.7 covers only Level 2 or higher staff in property sales or in commercial, industrial or retail leasing, and they must meet a past-earnings test of 125% of their classification rate. Casuals, part-timers and juniors are excluded.
How many hours do property managers work?
The award sets ordinary hours at 38 a week. Jobs and Skills Australia reports that full-time property managers average 42 hours a week, and that 28% of property managers work part-time.
