What is the minimum wage for a management consultant?

If you are award-free and not covered by an enterprise agreement, the national minimum wage applies: $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week) from 1 July 2026. Junior, apprentice or supported wage rates may be lower. Always check if a modern award or agreement sets a higher rate.

Is there a specific award for management consultants?

No. Management consultants are not covered by a specific modern award. They are typically classified as professionals and may be award-free. The national minimum wage is the legal backstop, but your contract or an enterprise agreement can provide more.

How much superannuation do I receive on top of my management consultant salary?

Your employer must pay super guarantee of 12% on your ordinary time earnings (from 1 July 2026). This is paid on top of your salary, not deducted from it. For the national minimum weekly of $1,004.90, that is an extra $120.59 per week into your super fund.

Management consultant salary in Australia: legal minimum, tax and super on the weekly packet

The legal minimum for award-free management consultants is the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week) from 1 July 2026, but actual salaries are typically much higher and no official median is published for this occupation.

Understanding the management consultant salary landscape

When people search for a management consultant salary in Australia, they often want to know both the legal minimum and what the market typically pays. This guide separates the two, explains how the national minimum wage applies, and shows what your weekly packet looks like after tax and super.

Management consultants (ANZSCO 224711) help organisations improve efficiency and solve problems. They work mainly in professional services, financial services, and public administration. Most are full-time, with a median age of 42, and over three‑quarters hold a bachelor degree or higher. Because they are professionals, they are rarely covered by a modern award. That means the legal pay floor is the national minimum wage – unless an enterprise agreement or individual contract sets a higher rate.

The legal pay floor

From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, the adult national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour or $1,004.90 per week for a 38‑hour ordinary week. Casual employees receive a 25% loading: $33.05 per hour. These rates apply to national‑system employees who are award‑free and agreement‑free.

If you are under 21 and award‑free, junior percentages apply. For example, a 20‑year‑old gets 97.7% of the adult rate ($25.84 per hour). Apprentices and trainees follow the Miscellaneous Award, not the junior scale.

Superannuation is an employer payment on top. The super guarantee is 12% of your ordinary time earnings. On the national minimum weekly of $1,004.90, that is an extra $120.59 into your super fund each week.

Award coverage and enterprise agreements

Management consultants are not covered by a specific modern award. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay guides list awards by industry, but none directly names management consulting. If your employer has an enterprise agreement that covers your role, that agreement sets the minimum – and it must be higher than the national minimum. Always check your employment contract and any applicable agreement.

For award‑free employees, the national minimum wage is the backstop. But many management consultants negotiate salaries well above this floor. The Fair Work Commission sets the national minimum wage each year; the Fair Work Ombudsman explains and enforces it.

Survey data and typical earnings

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publishes median weekly earnings for broad occupation groups, but not for six‑digit ANZSCO codes like Management Consultants (224711). The Jobs and Skills Australia profile for this occupation notes that median weekly earnings are not produced for six‑digit occupations. So there is no official published median for a management consultant salary.

For context, the ABS May 2026 survey shows average weekly total earnings for all employees of $1,579.20. Full‑time adult ordinary‑time earnings average $2,083.70 per week. Management consultants, given their education and industry profile, typically earn above these averages, but precise figures come from private salary surveys, not official statistics.

Tax and super on the weekly packet

Let’s take the national minimum weekly of $1,004.90 as a baseline. Using 2026‑27 tax rates (resident, full tax‑free threshold, no HELP or salary sacrifice), the estimated weekly tax is about $58, plus Medicare levy of 2% once annualised earnings exceed $30,000. That leaves roughly $887 take‑home per week. Your employer also pays $120.59 into super on top.

If your actual management consultant salary is, say, $120,000 per year ($2,307.69 per week), the tax and Medicare would be higher, but so would your super (12% = $276.92 per week). The key point: the legal minimum is a floor, not a target.

For more detail on how these figures are calculated, see How the figures work. To check which minimum wage applies to your situation, visit Which minimum wage applies or browse Rate tables.

What this means for you

The legal minimum for award‑free management consultants is $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week) from 1 July 2026.
No official median salary is published for this occupation by the ABS.
Your actual salary is likely much higher, set by your contract or agreement.
Super is paid on top at 12%.
Always confirm whether a modern award or enterprise agreement covers you – it can require a higher rate.

This guide is for orientation only. It is not a pay determination or legal advice. For your specific circumstances, consult the Fair Work Ombudsman or a workplace relations professional.