Negotiate after the offer arrives and before you sign it. Start with what people in the same job, industry and level earn, check whether the number is base salary or a package that includes super, and ask how the bonus works. Then give one number and the reason for it.
What should you know before you negotiate?
What the job pays in the market. These are median base salaries from The Aussie Corporate 2026 Salary Survey.
| Experience | Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | $100K | $92K | $88K |
| 5 to 10 years | $147K | $140K | $140K |
| 10 to 15 years | $180K | $166K | $161K |
| 15 plus years | $200K | $185K | $184K |
Median base pay by city and years of experience, from The Aussie Corporate 2026 Salary Survey. Base pay only, without bonus.
Industry moves the number as well. Investment Banking pays a median $175K, Finance and Tech $150K, Law $147K, Corporate $145K, Government $136K, Health and Not-For-Profit $130K and Professional Services $121K.
Employer matters inside an industry. The Big 5 banks pay about 14% more than other finance employers in the first 5 years, 8% more at 5 to 10 years and 2% more after 10.
To see what people in your exact job, industry and level earn, compare in AusCorp Vault, our free salary benchmark.
Is the offer base salary or total package?
Ask which one the number is. Your employer must pay super guarantee into your super fund. From 1 July 2026 it is 12% of qualifying earnings, which include ordinary time earnings and all commissions.
Some offers quote a package that already includes super. On a $110,000 package that includes super, your base salary is lower than on a $110,000 base with super paid on top. Our explainer on what OTE means in a salary offer covers packages that include commission.
How do you ask about the bonus?
Ask for the target and the history. In our survey, 1 in 3 people receive no bonus at all. For people with a target bonus, the typical target is 15% of base pay, and most people receive 79% of it. 7 in 10 people do not achieve their target.
Questions worth asking before you sign:
- What is the target as a share of base pay?
- How much of their target did people in this team receive last year?
- When is it paid, and do you have to be employed on that date to receive it?
- If you start part way through the year, is your first bonus pro rata?
Our guide to what a typical bonus is in Australia has the full payout figures.
How do you make the ask?
- Thank them, and ask for the offer in writing before you respond.
- Give one number. Base it on the median for the same job, industry, level and city.
- Give the reason in a sentence or two, such as your years of experience, a skill the role asked for or a competing offer you hold.
- Ask to speak to the hiring manager about pay if the recruiter can't move.
- If the base can't move, ask about a sign-on bonus, an earlier pay review, extra leave or the start date.
- Agree the final package in writing, and sign before you resign from your current job.
Asking for more once you are in the role works differently. Read how to ask for a pay rise after a no and how much your salary should increase each year.
Can a job offer be withdrawn after you negotiate?
Readers told us it happens. We found no Fair Work Ombudsman page that sets out when an employer can withdraw an offer, so get advice on your own situation if it happens to you.
The Fair Work Act does protect job applicants in one way. Not hiring someone, or offering a potential employee different terms from other employees, is adverse action. It is unlawful if it is done because of a protected attribute such as pregnancy, age, race or disability.
What did TAC readers tell us?
We asked our community about negotiating pay, and about offers that changed or disappeared after a negotiation.
A common answer was to get the final number in writing before you rely on it.
Yep, remember nothing is ever confirmed until you have it in writing. This is more common than you think
Reality is TA don't control the salary being offered and it's the manager. Speak directly to the manager and discuss what you landed on in good faith as the first option.
Yes this happened to me three times and then I left and got a new job somewhere else where they paid me the amount that was discussed in the salary negotiations
Honestly? Get a huge jump whenever you move. That's the only effective way to meaningfully jump
This is general information. Your award, enterprise agreement or contract may set your pay and conditions.
Sources
- The Aussie Corporate 2026 Salary Survey (median base pay by city and years, median base by industry, the Big 5 bank premium, bonus figures)
- Australian Taxation Office, About Payday Super (12% of qualifying earnings from 1 July 2026, what qualifying earnings include, last updated 10 August 2026)
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Protections at work (not hiring someone and offering different terms as adverse action)
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Protection from discrimination at work (prospective employees, protected attributes)
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