Operations Salary and Job Market in Australia 2026

You want to know what operations work pays in Australia in 2026, and the honest answer starts with a problem: almost nobody puts a number in the ad. As of 14 October 2026, the JobRise live jobs feed shows 116 open operations listings in Australia, and not one of them displays a salary. That is a snapshot of our listings, not a market survey, but it matches what most candidates see when they browse.

What the listings show right now#

Of those 116 open roles, 85 were posted in the last 30 days and 62 in the last 7 days, so the market is moving. Full-time work dominates: 107 full-time listings, 6 part-time, 3 contract. You can browse the current operations jobs hub on JobRise to see how the numbers shift week to week.

Employers hiring include Rentokil Initial with 33 open listings, Amer Sports with 7, First Focus with 7, The Extend Group with 6, Journey Beyond with 5, then Stranger Soccer, Catalyst Metals, Level Group ANZ and Cochrane's Transport with 4 each, and Incluso Services Pty Ltd with 3. Some of these names are recruiters or staffing firms rather than the end employer, so ask early who actually pays your wage.

Sydney leads with 24 listings, then Perth (11), Melbourne (8), Adelaide (7), Brisbane (4). For wider country context, the JobRise feed shows 462 open listings across all categories in Australia, and the JobRise hiring report for Australia puts that at 462 open listings with 346 posted in the last 30 days.

The roles themselves are mixed. "Operations Manager - Australia" at Fuse Energy, "Customer Service Lead" at EatClub, "Customer Experience Consultant" at FleetPartners, "Christmas Casuals" at Amer Sports, "Support Worker - South Adelaide" at Incluso Services Pty Ltd, "Casual Customer Service Representative" at Amer Sports, "Customer Service Consultant" at Rentokil Initial, and "Consulting Support Coordinator" at Centorrino Technologies.

Entry-level doors are thin. Only 1 of 116 listings looks junior, graduate or trainee level: "Junior Customer Support Specialist" at FP Markets. If you are early career, treat operations as a sideways entry through customer service, support or admin roles rather than waiting for a "graduate operations" title.

Typical reported pay ranges by seniority#

No listing in this slice shows a salary, so the ranges below are typical reported figures candidates and job ads mention elsewhere, and they vary by city, industry and employer. Verify current numbers with official sources such as the Fair Work Ombudsman or your award before you rely on them.

• Entry or support level (customer service, support worker, admin): commonly around $55,000 to $70,000 base per year, or an hourly rate for casual work.
• Coordinator or supervisor: commonly around $70,000 to $90,000 base.
• Operations manager or site manager: commonly around $95,000 to $130,000 base, higher in mining-adjacent or Perth-based roles.
• Senior manager, state or national level: commonly around $130,000 to $170,000 base, plus bonus in some firms.

Treat these as rough reported ranges, not offers. Sydney and Perth usually sit at the top of the range, Adelaide and regional sites lower, but housing costs and roster type change the maths more than the city name does.

How pay actually works in Australia#

Base salary is the number you negotiate first. Superannuation is on top: the Superannuation Guarantee rate is a set percentage of your ordinary time earnings, and it changes over time, so check the current rate on the ATO site. Ask whether the quoted figure is "plus super" or "inclusive of super", because that single word can be worth thousands.

There is no standard 13th month in Australia. Bonus is discretionary in most operations roles, and you should get the target and the actual payout history in writing. CTC (cost to company) language appears in some multinational job ads; in Australia the cleaner phrasing is base salary plus superannuation, and any bonus on top.

Equity or shares show up in listed companies and some tech firms, but rarely in logistics, facilities or support operations. If offered equity, ask how many shares, at what strike price, what the vesting schedule is, and what happens if you leave.

Casual loadings replace leave for casual staff. "Christmas Casuals" at Amer Sports and "Casual Customer Service Representative" at Amer Sports are casual roles, so expect an hourly rate with a loading instead of paid sick and annual leave. Ask for the hourly rate in the first call.

A worked example: turning a vague ad into a number#

Say you are interviewing for "Customer Service Lead" at EatClub and the ad says nothing about pay. Here is how the salary conversation can go.

You: "Before we go further, what is the salary range budgeted for this role?"

Them: "It depends on experience, around $80,000 to $95,000."

You: "Thanks. Is that base plus superannuation, or inclusive of super? And is there a bonus on top?"

Them: "Base plus super, bonus is discretionary."

You: "Good to know. Based on my six years leading support teams and the roster coverage you described, I would be looking at the top of that band, around $93,000 base plus super. Can you let me know what the band allows?"

You asked about the structure before naming your number, and you anchored near the top with a reason. That is the whole method.

Negotiating the offer#

Get the offer in writing before you negotiate anything verbal. Check the base, the superannuation treatment, the bonus terms, the classification level under any applicable award or enterprise agreement, the roster, and the probation length.

• Confirm the exact base salary and whether super is included or added.
• Ask what the bonus target is, who approves it, and what was actually paid the last two years.
• Ask which award or agreement applies and what level the role sits at.
• Ask about the roster, overtime, on-call and weekend penalties before you say yes.
• Ask for the review date and what the band allows at 12 months.
• Ask what the notice period is and whether there is a restraint clause.
• Ask about relocation or travel expectations if the role says "Australia" as the location.

If the offer is below the band, say so plainly: "I am excited about the role, but the base is below what I was expecting given the scope. Is there room to move to $93,000, or could we agree on a review at six months with a set increase?" Silence after that question is normal. Let them fill it.

If they cannot move on base, trade for something else: a higher superannuation contribution, an extra week of leave, a training budget, a work-from-home day, or a written salary review date. Get every concession in the written contract, not on a call. Our salary negotiation tool walks you through the numbers before you have the conversation.

What to do this week#

• Check the operations listings on JobRise daily and note which ads stay up more than three weeks.
• Filter by city, since Sydney and Perth hold most of the current roles.
• Save the exact title and employer for each role you apply for, so you can compare offers later.
• Write your salary range down before the first call, base plus super, and do not move it mid-conversation.
• Look up the current Superannuation Guarantee rate and your award level on official sites.

Free tools#

• Operations jobs in Australia
• JobRise Hiring Report: Australia
• free salary negotiation guide

FAQ#

What is the average operations salary in Australia in 2026?

No single number is reliable, and no listing in this slice shows pay. Typical reported ranges run from about $55,000 to $70,000 at entry level up to about $130,000 to $170,000 for senior or national roles, and you should verify current figures with official sources.

Why do so few operations job ads list a salary?

Employers keep the number quiet to preserve negotiating room and internal pay bands. In this JobRise snapshot of 116 open operations listings in Australia on 14 October 2026, none showed a salary.

Is the quoted salary inclusive of superannuation?

Not always, and the difference matters. Ask whether the figure is "plus super" or "inclusive of super" in the first call, and check the current Superannuation Guarantee rate on the ATO site.

Do operations roles in Australia get a 13th month or bonus?

There is no standard 13th month in Australia. Bonus is discretionary in most operations roles, so ask for the target, the approval process, and what was actually paid in the last two years.

Where are most operations jobs located right now?

In this snapshot, Sydney leads with 24 open listings, followed by Perth (11), Melbourne (8), Adelaide (7) and Brisbane (4). Roles with "Australia" in the title can be based anywhere, so confirm the actual site before you apply.