So you want to work in tech, and you want a good salary. We get it. Earning a lot of money isn't the only reason you get a job, but it's definitely a reason. So if you're looking for how much you can expect to earn as an entry level tech worker, and where your earning ceiling might hit, then you've come to the right place.
We've sourced entry, mid-level and senior salary ranges for 15 of the most common digital tech jobs, including software developer, data analyst, and systems admin. These figures do not include super (which is an additional 12%), and come from the Hays Salary Guide FY26/27 and the Robert Waters Salary Guide 2026, so if you want to dive deeper on any industry, we recommend starting there. You can also get granular by scouring the Jobs and Skills Atlas from the Australian Government.
But first, a couple caveats with this data.
First, keep in mind that different cities will have different salaries. Sydney-based roles typically pay higher salaries than other cities, while for data science specifically, Canberra salaries are high due to a demand for government and security-clearance work.
And second, the gender pay gap is overrepresented in tech when compared to other industries, according to the Australian Computer Society's 2026 Digital Pulse Report. The pay gap in software publishing is around 20%, in data processing and web services it's 18%, and in computer systems design and related services it's 14%. In comparison, the overall economic-wide gender pay gap is 11%.
However, this salary guide is a good baseline to understand what you might start earning in different fields, and where you can grow to. Let's dive in.
Software developer
- Entry level (junior developer): $80k — $105k
- Mid level (software engineer): $90k —$140k
- Top level (director, manager or principal level): $175k — $250k
Software tester
- Entry level (junior tester): $75k — $95k
- Mid level (test analyst): $77k — $105k
- Top level (test manager or director): $110k — $210k
Data analyst
- Entry level (data analyst): $90k — $135k
- Mid level (senior data analyst): $110k — $150k
- Top level (data lead or business intelligence manager): $150k — $200k
Data scientist
- Entry level (data scientist): $130k — $150k
- Mid level (senior data scientist): $150k — $180k
- Top level (head of data or chief data officer): $200k — $350k
Data engineer
- Entry level (data engineer): $110k — $150k
- Mid level (senior data engineer): $160k — $190k
- Top level (principal data engineer or data architect): $165k — $250k
AI or machine learning engineer
- Entry level (AI engineer): $140k — $170k
- Mid level (senior AI engineer): $170k — $250k
- Top level (head of AI or chief AI officer): $210k — $400k
Cloud engineer
- Entry level (cloud engineer): $120k — $140k
- Mid level (senior cloud engineer): $140k — $185k
- Top level (cloud architect or cloud manager): $160k — $220k
DevOps engineer
- Entry level (junior DevOps engineer): $100k — $115k
- Mid level (DevOps engineer): $115k — $190k
- Top level (principal engineer or manager): $185k — $250k
UX/UI designer
- Entry level (junior designer): $70k — $85k
- Mid level (UX/UI designer): $95k — $180k
- Top level (lead designer or head of design): $150k — $215k
IT support (help desk)
- Entry level (help desk, level 1): $55k — $80k
- Mid level (desktop support, level 2): $70k — $95k
- Top level (service desk or IT operations manager): $110k — $150k
Systems administrator
- Entry level (junior systems administrator): $90k — $110k
- Mid level (systems administrator or engineer): $110k — $150k
- Top level (principal systems engineer or infrastructure manager): $140k — $200k
Network engineer
- Entry level (network administrator): $85k — $115k
- Mid level (network engineer): $110k — $160k
- Top level (network architect or network manager): $160k — $220k
Cyber security analyst
- Entry level (junior security analyst): $70k — $100k
- Mid level (security analyst): $115k — $180k
- Top level (security operations manager or chief information security officer): $175k — $380k
Business analyst
- Entry level (business analyst): $105k — $130k
- Mid level (senior business analyst): $130k — $170k
- Top level (lead business analyst or practice manager): $155k — $185k
Project manager
- Entry level (project coordinator or junior project manager): $90k — $140k
- Mid level (project manager): $150k — $180k
- Top level (program manager or project director): $180k — $350k
Top of the ladder
- Chief information officer or chief technology officer: $225k — $375k