The Melbourne market
Melbourne's tech scene is concentrated around the CBD, Cremorne, and Collingwood, with deep talent pools in fintech (Pearler, Up, Athena), healthtech (Eucalyptus, Mable, Healthengine), AI (Harrison.AI Melbourne, A2 Optics) and the consulting and SI tail (Mantel, Eliiza, Servian, Stax).
Hybrid is the dominant pattern in Melbourne, with three days in office common at scale-up and listed-company employers. Full-remote is more frequently negotiated for senior IC roles than for management.
Salary bands 2026
Bands are base only and run roughly 3-5% below Sydney for like-for-like roles, with the gap closing quickly at staff and principal levels. Total compensation parity is the norm at Series C and later.
| Role | Senior IC base | Staff base | Principal base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | AUD 175-235k | AUD 225-310k | AUD 290-440k |
| AI / ML engineer | AUD 215-330k | AUD 310-410k | AUD 390-520k |
| Data engineer | AUD 175-235k | AUD 215-290k | AUD 270-370k |
| Cyber engineer | AUD 185-270k | AUD 250-350k | AUD 320-430k |
| Cloud / SRE / platform | AUD 185-255k | AUD 245-330k | AUD 315-420k |
| Forward deployed | AUD 195-310k | AUD 275-390k | AUD 350-470k |
Recent placements
Indicative samples from recent and active mandates.
Specialisms in Melbourne
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30 minute working session. No fee until placement. Replacement inside 90 days.