Your restaurant manager salary: what you actually take home after tax
The median full-time restaurant manager earns $1,441 per week before tax, which after income tax and Medicare levy leaves about $1,162 per week, or $60,434 annually.
How the restaurant manager salary is set
If you are a restaurant manager in Australia, your pay can come from two main sources: an award or a market rate. The Minimum wage under the Restaurant Industry Award 2020 sets a floor for many roles, but managers often earn above that. According to Jobs and Skills Australia, the median full-time restaurant manager salary is $1,441 per week before tax. That figure is based on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2023, and reflects full-time adult employees in the occupation.
For comparison, the award rates for lower-level roles are set by Fair Work Ombudsman. A Level 1 food and beverage attendant earns $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week. A Level 5 supervisor earns $31.30 per hour or $1,189.40 per week. But a restaurant manager typically sits above these classifications, which is why the median is higher.
From gross to net: tax and Medicare
Once you know your gross annual salary, the next step is working out what lands in your bank account after tax and the Medicare levy. Let’s use the median weekly figure of $1,441. Multiply by 52 weeks to get $74,932 per year.
Income tax for 2026–27
Using the resident tax rates for 2026–27:
- $0 to $18,200: nil
- $18,201 to $45,000: 15 cents per $1 over $18,200
- $45,001 to $135,000: $4,020 plus 30 cents per $1 over $45,000
For $74,932:
- Tax on first $45,000 = $4,020
- Tax on remaining $29,932 at 30% = $8,979.60
- Total tax = $12,999.60
The Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) can reduce tax, but at $74,932 it phases out completely. So your income tax is $12,999.60.
Medicare levy
The Medicare levy is 2% of taxable income. For a single person, the latest published thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. Full-time salaries above $35,013 pay the full 2%. So:
- Medicare levy = 2% of $74,932 = $1,498.64
Take-home pay
Total deductions = $12,999.60 + $1,498.64 = $14,498.24 Annual take-home = $74,932 – $14,498.24 = $60,433.76 Weekly take-home = $1,162.19 Fortnightly take-home = $2,324.38
This is an estimate only. Your actual take-home may differ if you have HELP/HECS debt, salary sacrifice, or other adjustments. Use the Take-home pay guide for a personalised calculation.
What about super?
Your restaurant manager salary is often advertised as a base figure plus super. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of your ordinary time earnings, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830 per year. Super is not deducted from your take-home pay; it is paid on top by your employer. So if your salary is $74,932, your employer adds $8,991.84 in super, making your total package $83,923.84. See Super for more.
Using the benchmarks
Jobs and Skills Australia reports that 77% of cafe and restaurant managers work full-time, averaging 46 hours per week. The median age is 38, and 57% are female. These benchmarks help you compare your own situation. The Average pay page shows how the restaurant manager salary stacks up against all occupations, where the median full-time weekly earnings are $1,697.
If you are paid under an award, remember that penalty rates apply for late nights, early mornings, weekends, and public holidays. The Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide shows that a Level 5 supervisor gets an extra $2.95 per hour for late-night work (10pm to midnight) and $4.42 per hour for early morning work (midnight to 6am). Saturday rates are $32.18 per hour, Sunday $38.61, and public holidays $57.92.
Final thoughts
Knowing your restaurant manager salary is only half the picture. The amount that clears into your bank account depends on tax, Medicare, and any salary packaging arrangements. Use the Clearance tool to run your own numbers. And remember, the figures here are based on public data from the Australian Taxation Office, Fair Work Ombudsman, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. They are not a tax assessment.
For more on how we calculate take-home pay, see Method.
Questions
What is the minimum award rate for a restaurant manager?
The Restaurant Industry Award 2020 sets minimum rates for roles like food and beverage supervisor (Level 5) at $31.30 per hour or $1,189.40 per week. However, many restaurant managers are classified above the award or as managerial employees, so actual pay often exceeds these minimums.
How is the Medicare levy calculated on my salary?
If you are a full-time resident employee, you pay the Medicare levy at 2% of your taxable income. For the 2026–27 tax year, the latest published single-person thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If your income is between those amounts, a shading rate of 10 cents per dollar over the lower threshold applies until you reach the upper threshold, after which the full 2% applies.
Does the median restaurant manager salary include super?
No. The median weekly earnings figure of $1,441 from Jobs and Skills Australia is before tax and does not include superannuation. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee rate is 12% on top of your ordinary earnings, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830 per year. So your total remuneration package is higher than the base salary.