The three ATO occupations are very different jobs. Program and project administrators are by far the largest group, and their figures are much lower than either kind of project manager.
What project managers earn: 2023–24 tax returns
In the ATO’s Taxation statistics for 2023–24, 74,999 people gave their occupation as “Builder - construction project manager”. Among those who reported wages, the median salary or wage income was $120,744 and the average $131,433. Their average taxable income was $141,215.
"Project manager" covers three different ATO occupations: construction project managers, IT project managers, and program or project administrators. Find the one that matches your job; each has its own take-home line below.
| Occupation on the tax return | People | Median salary or wages | Average salary or wages | Median taxable income | Average taxable income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder - construction project managerATO occupation code 133111 | 74,999 | $120,744 | $131,433 | $122,139 | $141,215 |
| Computing professional - project managerATO occupation code 135112 | 34,693 | $145,168 | $150,394 | $145,302 | $157,401 |
| Administrator - programATO occupation code 511112 | 284,325 | $72,911 | $77,095 | $74,287 | $81,887 |
ATO figures come from 2023–24 individual tax returns: everyone who gave this occupation, including part-time and part-year workers. Salary or wages is the gross wage income people reported (averages and medians count only those who reported some); taxable income adds other income such as interest and business income and subtracts deductions. Neither figure is a full-time rate or a legal minimum.
Project Manager pay after tax
What each figure on this page leaves after income tax and the Medicare levy, worked out with the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Use the row nearest your own salary to sense-check the net pay on your payslip.
| Figure | Gross a year | Tax and Medicare | Take-home a year | A fortnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median salary or wages — Builder - construction project managerATO tax returns, 2023–24 | $120,744 | −$29,158 | $91,586 | $3,523 |
| Median salary or wages — Computing professional - project managerATO tax returns, 2023–24 | $145,168 | −$37,685 | $107,483 | $4,134 |
| Median salary or wages — Administrator - programATO tax returns, 2023–24 | $72,911 | −$13,851 | $59,060 | $2,272 |
| Average salary or wages — Builder - construction project managerATO tax returns, 2023–24 | $131,433 | −$32,579 | $98,854 | $3,802 |
2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy; no HECS-HELP repayment and no Medicare levy surcharge. Superannuation is paid on top by your employer. Your employer withholds tax each pay from the ATO’s withholding schedules, so the tax on a payslip will not match these annual figures to the dollar. For the full breakdown see take-home pay on $130,000 (the nearest step to $131,433), or enter your own salary below.
The table assumes private hospital cover. A single person without it pays the Medicare levy surcharge of 1% to 1.5% once their income for surcharge purposes passes $105,000 (2026–27), which would lower the take-home on the higher rows.
Is there an award for project managers?
No modern award names project managers. The Professional Employees Award, which covers professional engineers and IT staff, says its classifications do not apply to anyone employed in a wholly or principally managerial position (Schedule A), so an engineer or IT professional who moves into a mainly managerial project role can leave that award's coverage.
Whether another award covers you depends on your employer's industry and how much of your work is managerial. If none does, you are award-free: the National Minimum Wage and the National Employment Standards are your legal floor, and your contract or enterprise agreement sets everything above it.
Project Manager minimum pay 2026–27
These rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rates for the hours they work.
The legal floor for award-free project managers
The National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279), from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. It is the floor for an award-free adult employee, not a typical salary for this job.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Minimum Wage (adult)Award-free employees aged 21 and over | $26.44 | $1,004.90 | $52,255 | $33.05 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Project Manager penalty rates and overtime
No award sets penalty rates for this job title. If an award covers you through your employer's industry, its penalty rates apply; if none does, penalty, overtime and time-in-lieu terms come from your contract or enterprise agreement.
Overtime
- Award-free employees have no award overtime rate. The National Employment Standards let an employer require reasonable additional hours; whether they are paid, banked as time in lieu or absorbed into a salary depends on your contract.
- Your pay for ordinary hours must still be at least the National Minimum Wage.
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Checking a project manager payslip
- Timing: a payslip must reach you within 1 working day of pay day, even when you are on leave, and must show your gross and net pay for the period (Fair Work Ombudsman, pay slips).
- Bonuses and incentive payments: any bonus, commission or other incentive-based payment that can be separated from your ordinary pay must be shown as its own amount on the payslip (Fair Work Ombudsman, pay slips).
- Super and deductions: each payslip must show the super your employer paid, or will pay, for the period and the fund it goes to, and every deduction — salary sacrifice included — with the fund or account it was paid into (Fair Work Ombudsman, pay slips).
For what every line on a payslip should show, see understanding your payslip.
What this page does not show
- A single Jobs and Skills Australia median: its profiles cover construction managers, ICT managers, and contract, program and project administrators as wider groups that mix project managers with other jobs, so none is a project manager figure.
- An award rate: no award names the job.
- Bonuses and allowances: no official source publishes them for project managers.
Project Manager pay questions
Pay rates for other jobs
How this page is sourced▼
No modern award names this job, so this page does not say which award, if any, covers you: that turns on your employer's industry and your duties. The minimum shown is the National Minimum Wage Order 2026, read on 9 October 2026.
Income figures are the ATO’s Taxation statistics 2023–24, Individuals Table 15A, exactly as published: the occupation is what each person wrote on their tax return.
The median comes from Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile and is a market figure, not an entitlement. Take-home figures use the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Award rates change every 1 July, so re-check after the next Annual Wage Review.
Sources & References
- 1Taxation statistics 2023–24, Individuals Table 15: average and median taxable income and salary or wages by occupation— Australian Taxation Office (data.gov.au)
- 2Construction Managers (ANZSCO 1331) occupation profile— Jobs and Skills Australia
- 3ICT Managers (ANZSCO 1351) occupation profile— Jobs and Skills Australia
- 4Contract, Program and Project Administrators (ANZSCO 5111) occupation profile— Jobs and Skills Australia
- 5Professional Employees Award 2020 [MA000065] — Schedule A— Fair Work Commission
- 6National Minimum Wage Order 2026 (PR799279)— Fair Work Commission
- 7Pay slips— Fair Work Ombudsman
Last verified: 9 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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