A newly-released salary guide shows the average starting salaries for jobs in finance, business support and tech across Australia, as well as what employees in these roles are generally asking from hiring managers.
What are the Salary Trends for 2023?
The 2023 Robert Half Salary Guide found that 61% of Australian employers had encountered a candidate in the last 12 months who had unrealistic salary expectations about their new role. They’d asked for a salary well beyond what may be considered reasonable.
“2023 will be a year when the candidate’s bargaining power has started to re-balance, and it will become rarer to see high percentage increases for both candidates who move companies and those who stay with existing employers,” says David Jones, Senior Manager Director at Robert Half Asia Pacific.
The guide also found that, just as candidates aren’t afraid to ask for more than the initial salary offer, so too are employers not afraid to put their foot down. While 41% of candidates were successful in securing more than what was originally offered, a whopping 59% were not. Businesses were also found to prefer contract talent rather than permanent positions, says Jones.
“People who are changing jobs need to start to consider what motivates them to move beyond a salary increment,” says Jones. “In 2023, it will become more common for employers to hold firm on not meeting what they consider more unrealistic salary requests. This revised market direction will reduce significant salary increases as a primary driver as to why someone moves roles.”
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As for how employers can go about dealing with unrealistic salary expectations, Jones suggests they start by becoming familiar with industry salary trends, and entering any salary negotiations as informed as possible. Next, you’ll want to build a case.
“Once a salary request from a candidate is received, don’t just counter with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’,” says Jones. “Explain why the request is accepted or rejected. Highlighting industry trends, salary benchmarks, and/or company-specific reasons behind decisions can help ensure the candidate is informed and a successful agreement is negotiated.”
Finally, he suggests the employer should lean on perks and benefits. It may be less costly than a bump in salary to concede ground on providing extra leave days, flexible hours or a work-from-home schedule, especially in today’s environment.
So, all that said, what are the most in-demand permanent roles and their national average starting salary in Australia this year? Keep reading to see the data from Robert Half Salary Guide 2023 below. Note that only salaries from four of the highest-paid industries were looked into.
Finance
| Role | 25th percentile | 50th percentile | 75th percentile |
| Finance Manager | $124,500 | $138,000 | $155,000 |
| Senior Financial Accountant | $112,500
|
$125,500 | $140,500 |
| Commercial Analyst | $104,500
|
$117,000 | $131,000 |
| Management Accountant | $93,500 | $103,000 | $112,000 |
Technology
| Role | 25th percentile | 50th percentile | 75th percentile |
| Cloud Engineer | $126,500 | $149,500 | $171,000 |
| Cyber-security Specialist | $128,500
|
$147,000 | $165,000 |
| Systems Engineer | $113,500 | $128,500 | $153,500 |
| Business Analyst | $108,500 | $123,000 | $136,000 |
Business Support
| Role | 25th percentile | 50th percentile | 75th percentile |
| Administrative Assistant | $59,000 | $64,000 | $67,500 |
| Receptionist | $54,500 | $60,000 | $64,000 |
| Customer Service Officer | $54,500 | $60,000 | $64,500 |
| Data Entry Clerk | $56,500 | $60,000 | $63,000 |
Financial Services
| Role | 25th percentile | 50th percentile | 75th percentile |
| Operational Risk Analyst | $70,500 | $103,500 | $122,500 |
| Credit Risk Manager | $122,000 | $132,000 | $141,500 |
| Senior Credit Risk Manager | $140,500 | $155,500 | $174,500 |
| (Senior) Compliance Manager | $131,500 | $141,500 | $155,500 |
Human Resources
| Role | 25th percentile | 50th percentile | 75th percentile |
| HR Coordinator | $69,000 | $74,500 | $79,500 |
| HR Advisor | $81,500 | $94,500 | $108,500 |
| HR Business Partner | $99,000 | $113,000 | $135,000 |
| HR Manager | $123,000 | $140,500 | $154,000 |
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