In This Blog:
You’ve been staring at quotes for “Online Business Manager Salary in Australia.” You scroll through numbers online, and it’s looking more and more like a complicated riddle with no satisfying end:
One has it at AUD $90/hour (15,600/month). Another at AUD $3,000/month retainer.
That can’t be right. Can it? A variation of AUD $12,000?!
As if this bit isn’t enough, you see the word “cheaper” attached to offshoring averages. “Cheaper” by how much? What’s the baseline? How were they able to get to those averages?
There’s no standard pricing structure for this role because the job description is so broadly defined and is different per business. That’s why the quotes you’re comparing vary so much. There’s also more sitting on top of those base figures that aren’t advertised so clearly.
Learn about how pricing works for OBMs in this article (we’ve included instructions for our free outsourcing calculator) to know what your numbers are.
Before getting there, here’s why online comparisons won’t work, and what you should be doing instead.
How much does an Online Business Manager cost in Australia? (How much does a Business Manager charge?)
An Online Business Manager in Australia can cost anywhere from AUD $70 to $120 per hour. Highly experienced OBMs may charge up to AUD $250 per hour. Monthly retainers generally range from AUD $1,500 to $5,000, with larger strategic engagements reaching AUD $10,000+ per month. AUD $97,000–$165,000 a year for a full-time local employee before employment on-costs. The amount you pay in total depends on the engagement model, scope of work, dedicated hours, and whether you hire a local or remote OBM. Hiring locally means you’ll have to factor in Superannuation, along with leave entitlements, onboarding, and training, on top of the base amount.
Comparing OBM Quotes Side-by-Side Doesn’t Work
We’ll start with the truth most don’t care to post online or on socials: you can’t shop for OBM pricing online the way you would any other role. There are several interlaced factors, making it difficult to look at one rate and contrast it with another simply due to:
Business size and need. Niche or industry. Retainer band. Package. If they’re independent OBM consultants, that hourly rate will be different from another person’s. Then there are those who price not by the hour but by project, or weekly, and monthly. There’s experience and expertise to consider. Engagement model, too, from part-time, or part-time that’ll transition to full-time after X expectations are met, or after X weeks.
There’s another factor: role descriptions online sometimes get interchanged. The title says Online Business Manager. But click those links, and they’re job descriptions for a Virtual Assistant. Tasks listed are for Project Management. Not the right ones to price OBM salaries in Australia.
It’s a lot, we know. A $250/hour rate from one consultant might mean 5 hours/month. A $2,000/month retainer from another could be 15 hours/month.
Those hours could differ even more depending on client needs and priorities.
The True Cost of Hiring OBM Remotely
One thing’s for sure: working with a remote online business manager will be lighter on your pocket than hiring a local OBM. And don’t let negative posts convince you into thinking you’re getting “lower-tier” skills. There are ways to comb through candidate pools and narrow down based on quality talent and relevant experience.
But you’re already past the stage of understanding how the scales tip in favor of remote vs local hiring based on pricing. The next step is to learn about an undisclosed cost unique to roles such as OBMs.
A Cost Rarely Discussed (Without Asking)
Besides the factors mentioned earlier, there’s another variable that isn’t laid on the table unless you really dig into it, or ask about it:
Hiring full-time means something else in numbers compared to hiring someone with a separate client load. The one who does the latter will have more than 3 or 4 clients on their roster, which changes their hourly charge.
Illustration: Lucas and his wife, Ayla, own a Perth-based renovation supply business. They started with 3 and are now growing to 16. They hire an independent OBM consultant on a $2,500 retainer. The founder-couple didn’t know that the specialist would only be dedicating around 9 hours’ worth of attention every two weeks, since the specialist was also working with 5 other clients.
The Engagement Model Comparison
Online Business Managers are generally divided into three working arrangements in Australia. Each engagement model works differently, and so does the way it’s priced. Before comparing costs, here’s how each one is set up.
OBM Consultant
A sole operator who owns their own consultancy. They are their own asset and work with several businesses or clients at once. Bills are either by the hour or via a monthly retainer (fixed monthly fee for ongoing services).
Since they’re owners themselves, they set their own caps. They have to, because they manage their client load hands-on, and yours, should you choose this route. Load management gets the final say from them alone.
OBM Average Salary Breakdown (Hourly):
Much like the OBM role, retainer pricing isn’t standardised. Hence, the night-and-day difference from top to bottom in this table.
Consultants offer flexibility and no employment overhead. You can dial things up or down without renegotiating a contract or writing up a new one.
What You Don’t Get: Guaranteed exclusivity. OBM professionals work with four to eight retainer clients simultaneously, so you can expect that their time isn’t reserved only for your daily operations.
Most independent OBM consultants manage between four and eight retainer clients at a time to make their business model work. Your business is one of several competing for their attention in any given week.
You don’t get continuity either. If your consultant says they aren’t available when you need them, or takes an extended break, there’s no process for handover. There’s nobody on your team to hand over their tasks to.
Full-Time OBM (Local)
The traditional employment route goes this way: an OMB is brought onto the payroll as a full-time team member. A “regular employee,” as it’s conventionally phrased. For this full-time role, the base salary ranges from $97,000 to $165,000 a year.
Variations have to do with experience and the scope of the job offered. After that, you have the loaded cost: Superannuation (click here to find out what the newest changes to Payday Super Rules Guide are, and what applies from this year onward). Leave entitlements. Payroll tax and onboarding. Other business-specific add-ons like training, tools, etc.
The lot of it comes down to 25 to 35% more on top of the base figure.
Full Time Online Business Manager Salary Breakdown:
Working with an online business manager full-time means that the hire becomes your “employee”. However, it’s typically the most expensive of the three. By a wide margin.
The Vetted Remote OBM
This is a dedicated, full-time or part-time remote hire who works exclusively for you. They aren’t splitting their attention and effort as OBMs with other clients. They don’t have the pressure of managing their own firm, and can focus on their responsibilities as a member of your workforce.
Same work structure as a local full-time hire, sidestepping the local salary band and the extras mounted over Australian employment.
With a managed provider, the arrangement’s almost always put front and centre. No ad hoc hourly billing. No sudden changes because there’s a contract. You get to write what’s in it.
Offshore Online Business Manager Salary in AU:
It boils down to this: you can use online averages for a glimpse into what OBM salaries comprise. A general baseline. What’s important is that at the back of your mind, you know you’ll have to do the maths yourself.
Here’s how the three engagement models compare side by side:
What To Do: Before comparing prices, use these tables to know which engagement model works best for you. Be direct when asking consultants, individuals, and providers to detail what they offer: How many hours are guaranteed in writing? What’s the arrangement for being away from the office/work (sick leave, time off, etc)? Any other add-ons apart from the rate being quoted?
Don’t leave any stone unturned. It’s completely okay to ask for the details; don’t hesitate to do so.
Use the Remote Staff Free Outsourcing Calculator below to see your numbers:
Four Metrics of the Best OBM: What Are The Signs of Good Management in Your New Online Business Manager?
For business owners who are new to hiring an OBM, they have no reference point for what to watch out for. Whether in job descriptions or in salary ranges.
A certification or two doesn’t prove real expertise or experience. Mentions of involvement in the International Association of Online Business Managers? Same thing.
Owners bring the person into their team. A few months pass, and it seems like they’re doing alright. Operations are smoother than they were last year. Owners can only weigh things as they go, because they’ve no way to evaluate if the operational improvement matches what they’re paying for.
These four measurements give you a concrete read on whether an OBM is creating value within your team:
Owner Time Won Back
How many hours do you personally spend on operational tasks, without an OBM? How about approvals and dealing with escalations? Go back to that number 60 to 90 days after onboarding an Online Business Manager. An OBM should be lowering those percentages within the first quarter of onboarding.
Business owners work an average of 49.4 hours a week, while preferring 41.7. Only 32% of actual time goes toward strategic work, against a preferred 73%. (Alternative Board)
How Long Decisions Are Stalled
Observe how quickly (or slowly) it takes for decisions to turn from meeting notes to action. With an OBM, these stay idle in the owner’s mental queue or a handful of scraps of paper somewhere on their desk, or in an app.
The OBM’s doing the job right if most of the decisions that don’t need the owner’s stamp are leaving the queue and being passed on to the assigned persons or teams the moment they’re ready.
Project And Launch Completion Rate
Count their share of projects and how many of those hit the original deadlines in their first 60 to 90 days of joining your team. The first three to four months are an adjustment period, and founders deliberately leave room for hiccups. “After” is when the real work begins.
If the workload’s really too much, the ideal OBM won’t think twice about raising the concern. Expectations are a two-way street after all.
McKinsey research puts the global average project on-time delivery rate at around 35%.
If project and launch management are part of their job, more projects should be reaching the finish line now than they used to.
Team Escalation Frequency
One of the clearest signs your OBM’s settling in well. Fewer escalations for your approval or instructions. The OBM should be resolving these, or a majority of them anyway, long before anything urgently calls for your attention.
Something to bear in mind: if this hasn’t happened within the first 60 days, it’s likely not the fault of the OBM. You need to revisit the role together. It’s possible that authority and scope haven’t been defined as clearly as they should’ve been.
What To Do: Use these four metrics in assessing your operations. One column has to do with how said metrics move before hiring the OBM, and another column, after. By the end of the first quarter, go back to the columns. More improvements mean you’ve got the ideal professional Business Manager.
Removing the Problem of Hiring Wrong and Dealing With Continuity
By now, it’s well understood that planning for an OBM hire is no small feat. It isn’t like hiring for straightforward job descriptions, where responsibilities are the same across businesses and industries. Where performance is quantifiable and measurable.
Many AU SMBs learn that the hard way. Now, business owners are turning to managed providers to avoid the costly hits and misses involved in the hiring process and the aftermath of a wrong hire.
This is where we step in. Remote Staff has been pairing Australian SMBs with remote professionals for over 18 years. When we vet candidates, we zoom in on real work experience and expertise, while screening for role compatibility with your exact business and industry needs.
Onboarding, payroll, HR, and admin work are on us, so you’re not left hanging after the hire. Our support goes on, so you remain focused on business vision and leadership. Because that’s what you need to continue doing.
Related Read: Stay compliant in all areas of your business and learn about Modern Slavery Act Australia and Payday Super Rules (not totally applicable to remote hires – hello Super – but just so you know what’s been going on).
Frequently Asked Questions About Business Manager Salary in Australia
How much does an Online Business Manager cost in Australia? (How much does an Online Business Manager charge?)
There’s no single salary template for Online Business Manager Salaries. They vary greatly depending on business operations (what will be required of the OBM to do) and engagement model, among others. That said, the general average is as follows:
Independent consultants charge AUD $1,500–5,000/month; up to $10,000+ for larger strategic engagements. AUD $1,500 to $10,000 a month in retainers. A full-time local hire runs AUD $97,000 to $165,000 in base salary, before super and on-costs. These numbers go down when comparing against remote Online Business Manager costs.
Is it cheaper to hire an OBM hourly, on retainer, or full-time? (What is retainer vs hourly rate for Online Business Managers?)
There’s no “cheaper” hire based on the engagement model. You have to consider the actual rate put out first of all. It’s more about what your business needs are. Most choose to hire part-time first, and then transition the role to full-time after the first quarter. Other SMBs, especially those who are more familiar with what the role entails, hire full-time straight away.
The “cheaper” alternative mostly has to do with whether you hire locally or offshore.
What’s the difference between an online business manager and a business consultant?
A business consultant is usually brought on temporarily, for the duration of a project or an initiative. The OBM is hired for day-to-day operations. They’re hired on an ongoing basis, since their role has more to do with managing systems and priorities daily (or according to a regular, ongoing timeline), instead of managing a deliverable.
These roles are not interchangeable.
How many clients can an Online Business Manager have? (How many clients should a consultant have?)
Many independent OBM consultants have four to eight retainer clients on their management list. It’s part of their business model, where they don’t work full-time for these clients, but are on “retainer.” They charge a fixed monthly fee to provide ongoing operational support. Not necessarily by-the-hour either.
Asking for the exact number of other active clients an OBM has is a good way to know if this professional will be an ideal fit for your business.
Should I hire a remote or local Online Business Manager? (Is a local online business manager more reliable than a remote one?)
Reliability depends on your business needs and whether they match the engagement model for your OBM hire. Hiring locally or remotely has nothing to do with the OBM’s efficiency. The work happens online, so no office space or in-person presence is required to improve an OBM’s role.
What does an Online Business Manager do? (What is an Online Business Manager?)
An Online Business Manager (OBM) oversees the day-to-day operations of a business, making sure projects, people, systems, and priorities move forward without requiring constant input from the owner. They coordinate teams, improve workflows, manage deadlines, and keep operations running efficiently so business owners can focus on growth and strategic decisions.
The Cost of an OBM, Measured Differently
It seems like the practical thing to do, looking online and comparing OBM salary ranges. Just remember that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the total cost.
The engagement model is one variable that adds to that total. Dedicated hours. And that’s after counting the rate of the OBM based on years of experience and expertise within your type of business and industry. Then, you’ve got local vs remote salary differences to think about.
Few Australian businesses have noticed the online salary disparity, but they’re acting fast. They’re working with managed providers, so they don’t have to go through the grueling task of comparing and contrasting role costs locally.
Don’t fall into the trap of hiring an OBM without knowing what the cost is after everything else is stacked on the first quote.
Call us or Request a Callback. Let Remote Staff help you find the Online Business Manager for your business, so you don’t have to.
Vaune Everis Cura has always been a writer in the truest sense, drawn to the art both as a personal creative pursuit and as a profession. Her experience penning content across digital marketing spaces and collaborating with business owners and market shapers has broadened her craft to include strategic direction and SEO insight. Having spent years with the InterContinental Hotels Group before stepping boldly into freelancing, she understands that at the centre of it all are genuine, meaningful brand–customer relationships built on purposeful, human content.
