Highest paying IT jobs

We’ve put together information on the highest paying IT jobs in Australia based on the findings from the latest Hays Salary Guide FY26/27, drawing on insights from more than 7,000 organisations and professionals to show what top roles are earning.  
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While Sydney is usually home to the highest average salaries across many sectors, the top earners in IT are spread across the country. We've listed the highest reported salaries for each role across a range of Australia's IT industry verticals. 

Leadership: CIO (up to $375k), CTO (up to $357k) and Chief Data Officer (up to $350k) 

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) remains the highest paying job in the IT sector in Australia, with salaries up to $375k in NSW with a national average of $261k+.

In today's complex and changing technology landscape, effective CIOs are relied on more than ever to spearhead digital transformations and deliver business value. This is reflected in their generous remuneration packages. 

Australia's leading CIOs are not only skilled in IT strategy but also have excellent business acumen, people management skills and the ability to navigate complex organisational politics. As their organisation's chief guide into future tech applications and trends, CIOs need to maintain a deep understanding of the latest innovations and how they can be applied to solve business problems. 

Workforce transformation has also put other IT leadership roles in the spotlight. Currently, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) earns up to $357k in Sydney, with a typical salary of $255k. In contrast to CIOs, CTOs focus mainly on the technical aspects of their organisation's digital transformation strategy and play a key role in driving innovation.

Finally, a Chief Data Officer can earn up to $350k in Sydney and Melbourne, although the typical national salary sits around $222k, indicating a lower presentation in other capital cities.

AI Leadership: Chief AI Officer (up to $350k), Head of AI (up to $300k+), and AI Solutions Architect (up to $275k+) 

The last few years of digital transformation and AI development have not just pushed organisations to learn new systems but necessitated the creation of new roles to support business needs. The introduction of Chief AI Officer in both this list and the wider Hays Salary Guide FY26/27 is significant, debuting at $350k nationally. 

This inclusion has sent a clear signal of how quickly AI leadership has become a premium position, as it sits high on the list of top paying jobs in Australia. Alongside this role, Head of AI and AI Solutions Architect roles also rank well, with up to $300k on average for the former and $275k for the latter. 

As AI continues to grow, evolve, and become commonplace in the workplace, it has become more necessary for businesses to introduce regulations and roles to manage the boom.

Cyber Security: CISO (up to $350k+), OT/IOT Cyber Manager (up to $300k), and Head of Information Security (up to $260k+) 

Another leadership position worth highlighting is CISO, or Chief Information Security Officer, which is becoming increasingly important as cyber security remains under the spotlight. 

Cyber security salaries have grown significantly in the past 12 months, which has led to CISOs earning up to $350k in VIC. In addition, Operational Technology Cyber Managers can earn up to $300k in all Australian states, bar Tasmania and the NT, where it drops to $240k, and Head of Information Security roles can earn up to $260k in most states. 

A strong IT infrastructure is the backbone of many organisations and as such, various architect roles, who can design, implement, and manage complex networks earn high salaries as a result - there a whole range of roles with an upper limit past the $200k mark, including: Cyber Security Architect, Threat Intelligence Engineer, Application Security Engineer, and Cloud Security Engineer. 

Projects & Change Management: Project Director (up to $350K) 

The constant demands of digital transformation have created the need for robust project management capabilities within organisations. Within the discipline of projects and change management, Project and Transformation Directors have emerged as vital in ensuring the successful planning and execution of complex digital transformation projects, many of which involve multiple stakeholders and large budgets.

In recognition of their importance, Project Directors are the highest paid professionals in projects and change management, earning up to $350k in NSW.

For more information on the highest paying IT jobs in Australia, download our Hays Salary Guide FY25/26.