How to hire in Australia
In Australia, 'sales executive' is an individual-contributor selling job — SEEK defines it as promoting and selling products and services to customers, a rung below sales manager. The catch is that the same title is used by a software vendor, a property agency and a media house, and they pay wildly different money for it. This guide covers what the role pays here, where the strong candidates sit, and what to check on work rights before you make an offer.
What it pays
The biggest pay lever in this market is industry, not city. SEEK's employer-disclosed data puts the average sales executive ad in marketing and communications at about A$69,000 a year and the average in ICT at about A$152,000 — more than double, for the same job title. Decide which market you are hiring from before you set the budget.
| Benchmark | Australia pay | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sales executive — national average | A$92,189 a year (typical range A$52,880 – A$167,922) | Indeed Australia, 493 reported salaries, updated 2 August 2026 |
| Sales executive — ICT and tech sales | About A$152,218 a year average | SEEK employer-disclosed salary data, August 2026 |
| Sales executive — real estate and property | About A$87,787 a year average | SEEK employer-disclosed salary data, August 2026 |
| Sales executive — marketing and communications | About A$68,941 a year average | SEEK employer-disclosed salary data, August 2026 |
| Employer superannuation guarantee, on top of salary | 12% of ordinary time earnings | Australian Taxation Office, super guarantee rate for 2025–26 and 2026–27 |
Figures checked August 2026. Read the spread as an industry story: the Indeed average of A$92,189 sits across everything from media sales to enterprise software. Two conventions to watch — Australian salaries are quoted annually plus superannuation, but SEEK notes that some employer-disclosed figures include super and others do not, and most of these numbers are base salary rather than on-target earnings, so commission can double what a closer actually takes home. From 1 July 2026, Payday Super also means the 12% super guarantee is paid with each payday rather than quarterly, per the ATO.
Where the talent sits
SEEK's employer-disclosed data puts the average ICT sales executive ad at about A$152,218 a year as of August 2026, across 117 open roles — nearly double most other industries. This is the enterprise software and IT services market, where quota-carrying experience commands the premium.
Property runs more 'sales executive' ads than any other industry on SEEK — 321 openings at about A$87,787 a year average in August 2026. Note that the title means something different here: a licensed property salesperson, not a B2B closer. If you are hiring for business sales, expect this segment to flood a job-board search with the wrong profiles.
Indeed's city data as of August 2026 puts Perth at A$108,660 a year — well above Sydney at A$92,082 and Brisbane at A$91,191 — with pockets like the Hills District in NSW at A$115,620. Pay does not simply follow the Sydney CBD; resources-adjacent and territory-based sales roles pull the regional numbers up.
Advertising, arts and media ads average about A$76,576 and marketing and communications about A$68,941 on SEEK as of August 2026. These desks produce high-activity salespeople with strong prospecting habits — a common and affordable feeder pool for tech sales teams willing to train on product.
SEEK's career mapping places sales executive between sales representative and sales manager, with sales consultant and business development titles alongside. A search limited to the exact phrase 'sales executive' misses most of the people doing the job — the strongest candidates often sit under account executive or BDM titles.
Visas and work rights
Most sales hires in Australia are local — citizens and permanent residents need no visa and no paperwork from you. But sales is a mobile profession, and if the best candidate is on a visa, these are the routes to know.
Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens on a Special Category visa can start without any sponsorship. Ask about work rights in the first call, not at offer stage — it changes both your timeline and your obligations.
The employer-sponsored temporary visa, which replaced the old Temporary Skill Shortage arrangements — its salary thresholds apply to nominations lodged from 7 December 2024. It lets you sponsor a suitably skilled worker for a position you cannot fill with a suitably skilled Australian, with a stay of up to 4 years in the Core Skills stream. Source: Department of Home Affairs SID visa page, last updated 9 May 2025.
Core Skills stream nominations must pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold — A$79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. The Specialist Skills stream requires earnings of at least A$146,576 for the same window — a bar a senior enterprise seller can clear. Both thresholds are indexed, so check the current figures before budgeting. Source: Department of Home Affairs salary requirements page, last updated 19 February 2026.
Working holiday makers can do any kind of work, but usually only for the same employer for 6 months. That is the wrong shape for a quota-carrying seat with a ramp period — treat it as an option for short campaigns or event sales, not a core hire. Source: Department of Home Affairs Working Holiday visa page, read August 2026.
These pages were read in August 2026 and the schemes and thresholds change — the income thresholds are indexed each July. Check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before relying on any of this, and take proper advice for a specific case — this is background, not legal advice.
How to run the search
A property salesperson, a media desk seller and an enterprise software closer all carry this title in Australia, and SEEK's data prices them from about A$69,000 to about A$152,000 a year. Name the industry, the deal size and whether the seat is new business or account growth before you write anything down.
Quote base salary plus superannuation plus on-target earnings as three explicit numbers. SEEK notes employer-disclosed salaries are inconsistent about whether super is included, and a good closer will read a vague package as a red flag. The super guarantee is 12% on top, paid each payday from 1 July 2026.
Quota attainment by year, average deal size, sales cycle length, and who sourced the pipeline. Titles inflate quickly in sales — the SEEK career ladder runs representative, executive, senior executive, manager — so anchor the interview on verifiable deal history rather than the title on the CV.
The salespeople you want are mid-quarter at someone else's company and not reading job boards — and a job-board search for this title buries you in property ads. Talent Summoner searches public professional profiles across the open market and ranks them against your brief, so you start from people who fit rather than people who applied.
Sellers rarely resign the week before a commission run or a quarter-end payout, and the top of this market is thin — SEEK showed just 117 open ICT sales executive roles in August 2026 against 321 in property. When a proven closer engages, run a short process and expect a counteroffer.
FAQ
Indeed Australia puts the average at A$92,189 a year as of 2 August 2026, with reported salaries ranging from A$52,880 to A$167,922. Industry moves the number sharply: SEEK's employer-disclosed data for August 2026 shows marketing and communications ads averaging about A$68,941, real estate about A$87,787, and ICT sales about A$152,218 a year. Superannuation and commission come on top of base.
Not consistently — SEEK notes that some employer-disclosed salaries include super and others do not. The employer superannuation guarantee is 12% of ordinary time earnings per the ATO, and from 1 July 2026 Payday Super requires it to be paid with each payday rather than quarterly. Quote your package as base plus super plus on-target earnings to avoid confusion.
The route is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), which lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker for a position they cannot fill locally, with a stay of up to 4 years in the Core Skills stream. Core Skills nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 must pay at least A$79,423; the Specialist Skills stream requires at least A$146,576 for the same window. Check the current occupation lists and indexed thresholds at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.
By industry, ICT — SEEK's employer-disclosed data averages about A$152,218 a year across 117 openings in August 2026, nearly double the other sectors. By city, Indeed's August 2026 data puts Perth at A$108,660, ahead of Sydney at A$92,082 and Brisbane at A$91,191, with the Hills District in NSW at A$115,620.
An individual-contributor seller — SEEK defines the role as promoting and selling products and services to customers, sitting between sales representative and sales manager on the career ladder. Watch the real estate usage: property agencies run more ads under this title than any other industry on SEEK, and there it means a licensed property salesperson, not a B2B closer.
Hiring guides
Sourced pay bands, the Sydney–Canberra talent map, sponsorship thresholds, and a faster way to a shortlist.
→What product managers earn across Australia, where they sit, and the visa routes that matter.
→Salary bands, Sydney and Melbourne talent pools, and 482 sponsorship rules — checked August 2026.
→What analysts earn by industry, where they sit, and the July 2026 sponsorship thresholds.
→Australian pay bands, where the experienced marketers sit, and the sponsorship routes — checked August 2026.
→Verified accountant pay, where the talent sits, and the sponsorship routes for in-house hires.
→Pay bands, where the SaaS talent sits, and the work-rights rules — checked August 2026.
→Pay runs from about A$90,000 to A$162,000 — industry and location set the number.
→Pay runs from about A$80,000 to A$175,000 — industry and site type set the number.
→Describe the sales role in plain English — industry, deal size, new business or account growth. Get candidates from the open Australian market, ranked against your brief, with the reasoning shown.
Talent Summoner