Strata Manager
Strata managers run the day to day affairs of strata and community schemes, keeping shared buildings maintained, compliant and financially sound for owners.
- Median salary*
- $90,000
4.4%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 5,100
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +6%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 40/wk
matches all-jobs average
- Shortage status*
- Not in shortage
national
Strata managers act for the owners corporation of apartment blocks, townhouse complexes and community schemes, often across a portfolio of several buildings at once. They prepare budgets and levy notices, arrange maintenance and insurance, run meetings and advise the committee on by-laws and compliance. Unlike property managers, who handle individual tenancies for landlords, a strata manager answers to the owners corporation as a whole, which makes committee relationships and dispute handling central to the job.
How much do strata managers earn?
The median full-time salary for a strata manager is $90,000 per annum, before tax, up $19,000 since 2018.
Pay depends on the size of the portfolio you carry and how your employer charges, since some firms bill a flat management fee per scheme and others take a percentage of levies, with commission on new business on top in some agencies. After-hours meeting attendance and on-call availability are part of the job, and the larger agencies are usually the ones that pay for them. Your registration level matters as well, because a licensed strata managing agent who can sign off on statutory work generally earns more than an assistant.
What does a strata manager do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Preparing annual budgets, levy notices and financial statements for each scheme in the portfolio
- Coordinating repairs, maintenance, insurance renewals and contractor quotes, then checking the work was done
- Convening, chairing and minuting committee meetings and annual general meetings, usually in the evening
- Advising owners committees on by-laws, compliance obligations and disputes between residents
- Managing trust accounts, levy collection and debt recovery for each scheme
What skills do strata managers need?
Employers look for regulatory compliance, budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting, backed by STRATA Master fluency and strong stakeholder management.
Specialist skills
- Regulatory compliance
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Financial reporting
- Operations management
Software and tools
- STRATA Master
- Console Cloud
- Microsoft Excel
- Property Tree
- Microsoft Outlook
General skills
- Stakeholder management
- Customer service
- Problem solving
- Written communication
Is the job growing?
About 5,100 people work as strata managers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 6% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a strata manager?
Here's the path most strata managers take, step by step.
- 1Complete a Certificate IV in Strata Community Management
The certificate covers strata law, financial management and community scheme operations, and several jurisdictions require a set course of study before they will issue a licence. It usually takes six to twelve months part time and can be started while you are already working in the industry.
- 2Apply for registration or a licence in your state or territory
The rules differ between jurisdictions: some license strata managing agents, others register them, and some have no licensing scheme at all. Check the current requirements with the regulator that handles property agents in your state or territory before you enrol in anything.
- 3Start as an assistant strata manager
Most people enter this way, supporting a licensed manager with minutes, owner correspondence and maintenance requests while learning the legislation on real schemes. The work is paid and most of the training happens on the job.
- 4Take on schemes of your own
Once you can run meetings and prepare budgets without supervision, you manage your own portfolio, which is where the responsibility and the pay both increase.
- 5Add a diploma or degree for senior roles
A Diploma of Strata Community Management, or a property, business or law degree, opens up senior manager and state management roles. 38% of people working as strata managers hold a bachelor degree, though it is not usually needed to start.
Ready to apply as a strata manager?
Whether you're working toward becoming a strata manager or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a strata manager move to?
Moving into Retirement Village Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $19,200 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retirement Village Manager Strata managers bring building maintenance, budgeting and resident liaison skills to retirement village operations. | +$19,200 | 76% | minimal |
| Legal Practice Manager Strata managers' compliance, records and financial administration suit legal practice management. | +$13,000 | 65% | minimal |
| Practice Manager Strata managers' budgeting, compliance and staff coordination carry into managing a healthcare practice. | −$3,900 | 88% | minimal |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a strata manager?
The typical strata manager is 41 years old; 61% are women, 81% work full-time, and full-timers average 40 hours a week.
- 41
- Median age
- 61%
- Female share
- 81%
- Full-time
- +0h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a strata manager?
The rhythm runs on a cycle of meetings: committee meetings most months, the annual general meeting once a year, and budgets and insurance renewals around them. In between, the week is a stream of emails and phone calls from owners, residents, contractors and the committee, and much of the skill lies in answering quickly and keeping the records straight. It suits someone organised who likes the detail of legislation and finances and does not mind being the person residents call when something goes wrong.
What people like
- No two schemes are the same. A 1970s walk-up, a new high-rise and a small townhouse complex each bring different buildings, budgets and personalities, so the work rarely settles into a routine.
- You can see a building improve. Getting a leak fixed, a lift replaced or a capital works fund back on track gives the job a visible result, even though the paperwork behind it is heavy.
- The legislation is learnable. Strata law is detailed but finite, and managers who learn it properly become the person committees rely on when a decision is contested.
- You learn how buildings and money work. Running budgets, sinking funds and capital works plans teaches you how shared property is financed, and that knowledge carries into other property and facilities roles.
What people find hard
- Evening meetings are part of the job. Committee and general meetings happen after hours because owners work during the day, so late finishes are routine rather than occasional.
- You carry other people's disputes. Noise complaints, parking arguments and by-law breaches land with you first, and some residents treat you as responsible for decisions the committee actually made.
- Deadlines stack up. Levy notices, insurance renewals, minutes and compliance certificates each carry dates, and missing one can have legal consequences for the scheme.
- Pressure from every side. Committees want costs kept down, owners want work done quickly and contractors want approval to proceed, so you spend time explaining decisions you did not make.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ strata managers?
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services employs the largest share of strata managers, followed by Public Administration and Safety.
Top employing industries
- 1Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
- 2Public Administration and Safety
- 3Accommodation and Food Services
- 4Health Care and Social Assistance
- 5Financial and Insurance Services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 38% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 24% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 20% | |
| Postgraduate | 10% | |
| Other | 8% |
Will AI replace strata managers?
The job sits in the middle of the range. Strata software such as STRATA Master and Console Cloud already handles levies, trust accounting and maintenance workflows, and AI tools are starting to draft meeting minutes and routine owner correspondence. What stays with the manager is the licensed decision making, the running of meetings and the mediation between owners and committees.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Coordinating repairs and contractorsGetting a plumber to a burst pipe in a 60-unit block still depends on a phone call, a judgement about urgency and someone checking the work on site.30%low
- Budget and levy preparationSoftware pulls the previous year's figures and current levies together, so the manager's work is checking the assumptions and explaining the increase to the committee.25%high
- Disputes, by-law breaches and committee adviceWorking out whether a complaint is a breach, and how to handle the owners involved, draws on legislation and on reading the room at the meeting.25%low
- Meeting minutes and owner correspondenceTranscription and drafting tools can produce a first version of minutes or a reply to a common query, which the manager then corrects and approves.20%high
Common questions about becoming a strata manager
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do strata managers earn?
Strata managers earn a median of $90,000 per year before tax. Pay rises with the number and size of the schemes you manage, your registration level, and whether your firm pays commission on new business.
How do you become a strata manager?
Most people start as an assistant strata manager and study a Certificate IV in Strata Community Management (CPP40521) while they work. You then apply for a licence or registration in your state or territory, because the requirements differ between jurisdictions. Experience in property management, real estate or office administration is a common way in.
Do you need a licence to work as a strata manager?
Some states and territories require a strata managing agent licence or registration before you can manage schemes independently, and others have no licensing scheme at all. The name of the credential and the study behind it vary by jurisdiction, so check with the regulator for property agents where you plan to work.
Are strata managers in demand?
Strata managers are currently not in shortage. Employment is projected to grow 6% over the decade to 2035, and the work is tied to the number of strata and community schemes on the register rather than to the wider economy. If you are entering the field, the practical question is how long registration takes in your state, because that shapes how soon you can take on your own portfolio.
Will AI replace strata managers?
AI is changing parts of the job rather than removing the role. Strata software already handles levies, trust accounting and maintenance workflows, and drafting tools are starting to produce first versions of minutes and routine owner correspondence. The licensed decisions, the running of meetings and the mediation between owners and committees stay with the manager.
What can strata managers move into?
Strata managers move into retirement village management, where building maintenance, budgeting and resident liaison carry across, and the pay difference is $19,200 more. Practice management is another route, at $3,900 less, since the budgeting, compliance and staff coordination transfer almost directly, and legal practice management offers $13,000 more. Experienced managers also start their own strata management business or buy into a franchise, which is often where earnings grow.
Related roles
- Retirement Village Manager
- Practice Manager
- Legal Practice Manager
- Property Manager
- Facilities Administrator
- Real Estate Agent
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