Project Manager Salary Australia 2026: What You Take Home After Tax

What the ATO says about project manager salary

Your project manager salary depends on what you manage. The Australian Taxation Office’s 2023–24 tax returns split the role into three occupations. Construction project managers (74,999 people) reported a median salary or wage income of $120,744. IT project managers (34,693 people) reported a median of $145,168. Program and project administrators (284,325 people) reported a much lower median of $72,911. These figures include part-time and part-year workers, so they are not full-time rates.

Jobs and Skills Australia profiles for Construction Project Managers and ICT Project Managers show median weekly earnings from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, but those figures are for full-time non-managerial employees and are not directly comparable to the ATO’s occupation-level data. For your own take-home estimate, the ATO’s salary or wage income is the best starting point.

Take-home pay after tax and Medicare

To work out what clears into your bank account, apply the 2026–27 resident tax rates and the Medicare levy. The latest single-person Medicare thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. Full-time salaries pay the full 2% Medicare levy. The examples below assume private hospital cover (to avoid the Medicare levy surcharge) and no HELP/HECS debt.

Construction project manager take-home

On the median $120,744:

• Tax: $4,020 plus 30c per $1 over $45,000 = $4,020 + 0.30 × ($120,744 – $45,000) = $4,020 + $22,723.20 = $26,743.20
• Less Low Income Tax Offset (LITO): at $120,744, LITO is $325 – 1.5c per $1 over $45,000 = $325 – $1,136.16 = negative, so LITO is $0.
• Medicare levy: 2% of $120,744 = $2,414.88
• Total tax and Medicare: $26,743.20 + $2,414.88 = $29,158.08
• Take-home: $120,744 – $29,158 = $91,586 a year, or $3,523 a fortnight.

IT project manager take-home

On the median $145,168:

• Tax: $31,020 plus 37c per $1 over $135,000 = $31,020 + 0.37 × ($145,168 – $135,000) = $31,020 + $3,762.16 = $34,782.16
• LITO: $0 (income above $66,667)
• Medicare levy: 2% of $145,168 = $2,903.36
• Total: $34,782.16 + $2,903.36 = $37,685.52
• Take-home: $145,168 – $37,686 = $107,482 a year, or $4,134 a fortnight.

These estimates match the Take-home pay calculator on this site. For a detailed breakdown of how tax and the Medicare levy work, see Tax and Medicare.

When no award covers you

No modern award names project managers. The Professional Employees Award excludes employees in wholly or principally managerial positions. If your employer’s industry and your duties mean no award applies, you are award-free. Your legal floor is the National Minimum Wage: $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week from 1 July 2026. Your contract or enterprise agreement sets everything above that. Penalty rates and overtime come from your contract, not an award.

Other things to consider

• Superannuation: From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% on earnings up to $270,830. Many job ads quote a salary plus super, so super is not deducted from your take-home.
• Bonuses and allowances: No official source publishes average bonuses for project managers. Your total package may include performance bonuses or vehicle allowances, which are taxed as ordinary income.
• Salary packaging: If you salary-sacrifice into super or other benefits, your taxable income reduces, lowering your tax. Use the Salary packaging guide to see the effect.

For a personalised estimate that includes HELP/HECS or the Medicare levy surcharge, try the Clearance tool.