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Childcare Centre Manager salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a childcare centre manager is $103,100 per annum, before tax, up $22,000 since 2018.
Pay moves more with the provider than with the job title: a large long day care group, a community-based not-for-profit and a small independent centre each set their own bands, and community providers often add salary packaging on top. Not-for-profit and local government services commonly pay under an enterprise agreement, which sets steps for your years of experience and the size of the service. A director running a 120-place centre with a large staff team generally earns more than the manager of a 40-place centre, and holding an early childhood teaching degree can put you on a different scale again.
Roles that pay more than childcare centre manager
The largest typical pay rise is $12,700 a year, moving into Primary School Teacher.
- Primary School Teacher+$12,700/yr
- Regional Education Manager+$11,300/yr
- VET Trainer+$7,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher childcare centre manager salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time childcare centre manager salary is $103,100; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Budgeting and forecasting and Regulatory compliance tend to command a premium over general childcare centre manager experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Primary School Teacher pays a typical $12,700 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Childcare Centre Manager salary questions
How much do childcare centre managers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a childcare centre manager is $103,100 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is childcare centre manager pay rising or falling?
The median childcare centre manager salary is up $22,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than childcare centre manager?
Primary School Teacher pays a typical $12,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to childcare centre manager.