Technology salary and compensation trends

2026 Salary Guide

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Navigating Australia’s technology landscape demands agility in the face of constant change. Rapid innovation, economic uncertainty, and evolving cyber-security risks continue to test even the most agile organisations. For business leaders, confidence in having the right IT talent and those capable of protecting systems and driving growth is more important than ever. At the same time, technology professionals want assurance that their expertise in building and securing the digital foundations of modern business is recognised and compensated fairly.

That’s why we have curated the 2026 Robert Half Australia IT Salary Guide to equip you with the data and confidence to make the right employment decisions. Whether you're a hiring manager looking to attract top tech talent or an IT jobseeker hoping to find your next role, this guide provides valuable insights and Australian salary benchmarks based on Robert Half’s placement data to aid the decision-making process.

Hiring managers: Get customised salary data and insights from a Robert Half talent solutions professional.

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Enter your city to localise national average salaries. Starting salaries can vary greatly depending on a professional’s skills and experience, company size and demand for the role.

Architecture & Development

Business Intelligence

Business Analysis

Data/Database Management

Technical Support & Operations

Infrastructure & Engineering

IT Management

IT Security/Cyber-Security

Quality Assurance - Testing

Software Engineering

Design

Project Management

Business Transformation

Position title

25th percentile

50th percentile

75th percentile

Enterprise Architect

170000

200000

220000

Infrastructure Architect

150000

170000

185000

Solutions Architect

165000

175000

195000

Data Architect

155000

170000

195000

25th percentile

The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.

50th percentile

The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.

75th percentile

The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.

Salary range based on three percentiles The starting salaries represent gross yearly salaries. They do not include bonuses, benefits or superannuation.

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2026 technology compensation trends

Key insights at a glance

68%

of tech hiring managers say the compensation they offer is fully or mostly aligned to reflect the skills and experience needed for the tech roles they hire for

45%

of tech hiring managers say they are prepared to offer an increase of between 6% and 10% above the initial salary proposal during negotiations for an average technology role

63%

of tech hiring managers say they have lost a candidate because salary expectations were misaligned due to the salary range not being displayed on the job ad

39%

of tech hiring managers say evidence of adaptability or problem-solving skills can make a candidate stand out in a high-volume application process

From salary surge to stability

Salary trends have stabilised after several years of volatility. With a growing pool of qualified candidates, employers are less inclined to offer salary premiums, confident they can find professionals whose expectations align with market rates.

Business analyst and project manager salaries have plateaued and hiring activity remains cyclical, strong when large-scale programs are funded, but slower during periods of reduced investment.

Salaries for data engineers and cyber-security professionals have flattened, with fewer of the sharp increases seen in previous years, even as demand for these skills remains steady.

Development and testing salaries are seeing a recalibration as supply increases and project budgets become more focused.

For employers, this creates greater flexibility to build well-rounded teams and invest in long-term capability.

Balancing precision, pace, and pay

Most technology hiring is replacement-driven, particularly in the wake of mergers and acquisitions that have reshaped team structures.

Employers are approaching recruitment with greater precision and less flexibility, often holding out for candidates who meet very specific criteria. Businesses need to strike a balance between waiting for the ideal candidate and filling business-critical roles with precision.

The candidate possesses highly specialised skills (56%)

Years' experience (47%)

Available budget (39%)

Scarcity of qualified talent in the market (35%)

Competition remains intense for jobseekers and commanding above-average salaries demands the ability to demonstrate niche skills and qualities.

Discussions around AI implementation are widespread, but genuine adoption remains in its early stages. Many businesses are still trying to understand what AI means for their operations and how best to apply it.

A growing number, however, are beginning to test proof-of-concept projects and use case studies to assess potential return on investment, signalling the first practical steps toward meaningful transformation and the need for AI-proficient talent.

of tech hiring managers say the adoption of AI technologies has influenced compensation practices for tech roles in their organisation in 2025 of tech hiring managers say the adoption of AI technologies has influenced compensation practices for tech roles in their organisation in 2025

of tech hiring managers say high market demand and competition is the single biggest challenge in compensating AI-proficient candidates of tech hiring managers say high market demand and competition is the single biggest challenge in compensating AI-proficient candidates

In-demand roles, skills, and industries hiring

Cyber-Security Specialist

Data Engineer

BI/Data Analyst

Business Analyst

Systems Engineer

Cloud Engineer

IT Support

BI/Data Analyst

AI/ML Engineer

Data Engineer

.NET (.NET Core), C#, Java

JavaScript Angular/React/Vue, TypeScript, Node.js, Go

BI and reporting services (Microsoft Power Platform)

Cloud technologies (Microsoft Azure, AWS)

Scripting and automation (PowerShell, Python, Cypress, Selenium)

DevOps (IaC, SCM, CI/CD, test automation, containers)

Modern workplace technologies (Intune, Autopilot)

Integration services (Azure, AWS)

ERP systems (Workday, Dayforce)

CRM systems (MS Dynamics, Salesforce)

Data modernisation (Fabric)

Data engineering (Data warehousing, ETL concepts, Azure Data Factory, Synapse, Snowflake, dbt)

AI tools (Azure Open AI, Semantic Kernel, LangChain)

Logical problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Innovative thinking skills

Relationship-building skills

Stakeholder management skills

Sense of ownership

Initiative

Microsoft 365 - modern workplace certifications

Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate

Cyber and Information Security

Azure/AWS developer certifications/AI fundamentals

Azure/AWS infrastructure certifications

Linux

Cisco

Non-bank lending

Superannuation

Financial services

Mining services

Healthcare and aged care

Education

Construction/engineering

Manufacturing

Agriculture

Transport

Technology

Not-for-profit/charities

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The salaries listed in Robert Half’s Salary Guide are the result of a rigorous, multistep process to ensure our projections accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on real compensation data from professionals Robert Half has successfully matched with employers across Australia.

The salaries listed in the salary tables represent gross yearly salaries. They do not include bonuses, benefits, or superannuation. We report salaries in three percentiles, recognising that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.

The non-salary data presented in this Salary Guide is derived from an online survey conducted by an independent research firm commissioned by Robert Half in October 2025. The survey gathered responses from 500 finance, accounting, IT and technology, and HR hiring managers employed by a diverse range of organisations in Australia, including SMEs and large companies.