What a business development manager is paid in Australia: the legal minimum under the award, the classification ladder either side of it, and what the market actually pays. Every figure sourced and dated.
Award floor
$29.55
The classification we quote is described in the ladder below. Award, Commercial Sales Award MA000083. Effective 1 July 2026.
Market band
$105,000 to $125,000
National advertised range, SEEK, refreshed 1 July 2026. Indicative day rate ~$500.
Every rung of the award, not just the one this role usually sits on. The highlighted row is the classification we quote as the floor for business development manager.
| Classification | Hourly minimum | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Probationary traveller | $26.59 | |
| Merchandiser | $27.47 | |
| Commercial traveller | $29.55 | |
| Advertising sales representative | $29.55 |
This is one of the shortest ladders in the award system: four adult classifications and nothing above them. Commercial traveller is the classification a business development manager usually sits in. A vehicle allowance is paid on top, at a rate per kilometre set by the award.
The floor is the law and the market is what roles actually close at. On this role the distance between them is $46,609 a year at the bottom of the band, which is the number worth knowing before you set an offer. Ordinary hours only: no overtime, no penalty rates, no superannuation.
None. A driver licence is a practical requirement for most field sales roles rather than a legal one attached to the occupation.
No, and we would rather say so than imply otherwise. The 2025 Occupation Shortage List rates 131112 Sales and Marketing Manager as not in shortage nationally or in any state, on the 2025 list. The newer OSCA classification splits out business development manager separately and rates it not in shortage as well. Being off the shortage list does not mean the role is easy to fill well, it means the national supply of people who can do it is not constrained. Source, checked 27 July 2026.
Commission structures make this market unusually opaque. Two roles with the same base can pay very differently once the plan is applied, so base salary comparisons alone are close to meaningless here.
The variable that matters most is where the leads come from. A role that is genuinely new business, cold, self sourced and territory based is a different job from one working inbound enquiries or an existing account base, and the same person is rarely excellent at both. Commission structure is the second variable: the split between base and variable, whether the plan is on revenue or margin, whether it is capped, and when it pays. Ramp time is real and usually underestimated, because in most sectors the first deals close months after the start date. Territory definition, industry vertical and average deal size tell an experienced person more about the role than the title ever will.
Advertising on-target earnings without the base, which reads as a warning sign to anyone experienced. The second is not describing the territory or the lead source, because a business development manager expected to self-generate every lead is doing a different job from one working inbound. The third is classifying the role under the wrong award: a salesperson working in a shop or an office is unlikely to be a commercial traveller.
The Commercial Sales Award usually applies to sales representatives who sell away from the employer's premises. A salesperson based in a shop or an office is likely covered by a different award.
No. The award sets a minimum rate for the classification. Commission sits on top and is a matter for the contract.
The award sets a rate per kilometre for a car and for a motorcycle, paid on top of the classification rate.
Award rates are the adult full-time minimum for the classification named, effective the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, from the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guides. Casual loading of 25 per cent sits on top. This award publishes base rates, so allowances are paid on top of the hourly figures shown. Market bands are the national advertised ranges published on SEEK salary pages, refreshed 1 July 2026, quoted as published. Annual conversions use 38 ordinary hours a week over 52 weeks and exclude overtime, penalty rates and superannuation. Award minimums are national, so these figures do not vary by state. Checked 27 July 2026. The award that applies to any individual is decided by the work actually performed and by the employer's industry: see our award finder, or ask the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.