The Brisbane market
Brisbane is a smaller but distinct tech market with deep specialism in defence engineering, mining and resources tech, govtech (state and federal), and a growing scale-up scene around Fortitude Valley and South Brisbane.
Hybrid and onsite remain more common in Brisbane than in Sydney or Melbourne. Senior talent supply is thinner, and reach into Sydney and Melbourne networks is often part of a Brisbane brief.
Salary bands 2026
Brisbane bands run roughly 8-12% below Sydney for like-for-like senior IC roles, with defence and government roles often pegged to APS or contractor day rates rather than commercial salary bands.
| Role | Senior IC base | Staff base | Principal base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | AUD 165-220k | AUD 210-285k | AUD 270-400k |
| AI / ML engineer | AUD 200-310k | AUD 290-380k | AUD 360-480k |
| Data engineer | AUD 165-220k | AUD 200-275k | AUD 255-345k |
| Cyber engineer | AUD 175-260k | AUD 235-330k | AUD 300-410k |
| Cloud / SRE / platform | AUD 175-240k | AUD 225-310k | AUD 295-390k |
| Forward deployed | AUD 185-290k | AUD 260-365k | AUD 330-440k |
Recent placements
Indicative samples. Defence and security-cleared placements available subject to clearance.
Submit a brief
30 minute working session. No fee until placement. Replacement inside 90 days.