On this page (8 sections)
The short answer
A government school business manager in Australia earns roughly $95,000 to $167,000 a year in 2026, depending on the state and the size of the school. NSW Business Managers earn $99,421 to $125,098 (35 hours a week, from July 2026). ACT business managers start at at least ASO6, $102,657, and Tasmanian School Business Managers range from $103,290 to $139,237.
- Most states set the business manager's level by the school's size and complexity.
- Full-time hours vary: 35 a week in NSW, 36.75 in the ACT and Tasmania.
- In Victoria, Queensland, WA and SA, business managers sit on general admin scales.
What a school business manager does
The business manager runs the money side of a school: the budget, finance and payroll systems, purchasing, assets and facilities, and often the admin team. In many schools they work closely with the principal as part of the leadership group. The title varies: Business Manager in NSW, the ACT and Queensland, School Business Manager in Tasmania, Manager Corporate Services in WA, and an SSO or ES role in SA and Victoria.
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Victorian rates are VGSA 2026 rates from 1 October 2026 (approved by the Fair Work Commission on 16 October 2026, back-paid), about 13% above the VGSA 2022 rates. SA's May 2026 rates are about 3% higher than shown.
NSW Business Manager pay
NSW Business Managers are on the Crown Employees (School Administrative and Support Staff) Award 2024. There are two separate classifications, BM1 and BM2, each with four annual steps. There is no automatic move from BM1 to BM2; you need to be appointed to a BM2 position. Full time is 35 hours a week (cl 8.1.3).
Annual = hourly x 35 x 52.17857 (award cl 5.3). School Administrative Managers (SAM 1 to 4) earn $84,208 to $91,669 on 33.33 hours; see NSW SLSO and school admin pay.
ACT business manager pay
In ACT public schools, business managers are on the ACTPS Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2023–2026, aligned to general public service levels (cl R27). New business manager positions are recruited at ASO6 or higher, and the agreement lets the directorate reclassify existing Business Manager 1s (ASO5) to Business Manager 2 (ASO6) without a fresh merit process.
Business managers' after-6pm school board time is credited as flextime at time and a half, or paid as overtime by agreement (cl R20.2). A 2026–2029 pay offer was reportedly voted down in September 2026, and no new agreement is in place, so these remain the current rates.
Tasmania, Queensland, WA, SA and Victoria
Tasmania has a dedicated School Business Manager scale with six levels and four ranges each. On the DECYP scale as at 27 August 2026, SBM1 Range 1 is $103,290, SBM3 Range 1 is $115,215, SBM5 Range 4 is $136,336 and SBM6 Range 3 is $139,237. See Tasmanian school support pay.
Queensland business managers are on the AO stream, typically AO6 to AO7 (not confirmed). From the 1 September 2026 schedule, AO6.1 is $125,488 and AO7.4 is $149,933, on 36.25 hours. WA managers corporate services are on the school support officers' CSA agreement; Level 3 to 6 is typical (not confirmed), $84,299 to $128,552 from 13 June 2026. See QLD and WA.
South Australian business managers are School Services Officers, commonly SSO3 to SSO5: $83,074 to $121,573 on the official 9 May 2025 table, and about 3% more from May 2026. Victorian business managers are Education Support staff; the range depends on the position, with Range 3 to 5 common. See SA SSO pay and Victorian ES pay.
What a business manager takes home
NSW Business Manager at BM 1.1, full time
- Annual salary (35 hours a week)
- $99,421
- Income tax after offsets
- $20,346
- Medicare levy
- $1,988
- Employer super (12%), on top
- about $11,930
2026–27 tax rates, no HELP debt and no salary packaging. For comparison, ACT ASO6 ($102,657) leaves about $79,287 and Tasmanian SBM1 Range 1 ($103,290) about $79,717.
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Compare business manager pay
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Open the support staff pay calculatorHow to become a school business manager
- 1
Build finance and admin experience
Most business managers come from school office or finance roles (SAO, SSO, ES or school assistant), or from accounting, finance or office management outside schools.
- 2
Learn the school systems
Each department has its own finance, payroll and student systems. Experience in a school office makes the step up much easier.
- 3
Apply for positions at your level
Pay depends on the classification of the job. Watch for higher-level positions in larger schools.
- 4
Check whether a qualification is required
Each job ad sets its own criteria. Some ask for accounting or business qualifications; read the position description before you apply.
Business managers in government schools can also use salary packaging, which can lift take-home pay; see teacher salary packaging. Packaging is set by the employer, so support staff in the same system can usually access the same arrangements as teachers; check with your department's provider.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a school business manager earn in Australia?
What does a school business manager earn in NSW?
What is a business manager paid in ACT public schools?
Do school business managers get paid in the school holidays?
How is a business manager's level decided?
Can a teacher aide become a business manager?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-28
- 1.NSW: Crown Employees (SASS) Award 2024
- 2.ACT: Administrative and Related Classifications EA 2023–2026
- 3.TAS: DECYP Salary Scales
- 4.QLD: Department of Education salary schedule
- 5.WA: School Support Officers CSA Agreement 2024
- 6.SA: School services officers pay rates
- 7.VIC: Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2026
About this page
Written and fact-checked by the TeacherPay AU Editorial Team against the enterprise agreements, awards and official pages listed in the sources. It is general information, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it, usually within a day. See our editorial policy and how we calculate.
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