Construction & Property
Salary Guide
Development, construction delivery, commercial, asset and property management reward across APAC.
The state of construction & property talent
Construction and property markets remain cyclical, but the structural need for housing, social infrastructure and asset upgrades sustains demand for proven delivery and commercial leadership. Cost pressures and margin discipline have made quantity surveyors, commercial managers and contract administrators especially sought-after — getting the numbers right is now a board-level concern.
On the property side, development directors with feasibility and capital-partner experience command premiums, as do asset and facilities leaders managing institutional portfolios through repositioning and ESG retrofit programmes. Residential and build-to-rent activity has lifted demand for development and project-delivery talent.
The candidates in shortest supply are commercial and cost professionals and senior project directors with a track record of delivering complex builds to budget. Employers win by offering stable pipelines, quality projects and clear progression rather than competing on base alone.
What these roles pay in Q2 2026
Base salary, AUD '000 p.a. (excl. super, vehicle, bonus). Bars show the typical low–high range; the marker is the market midpoint.
| Role | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Director | $230k | $300k | $420k |
| Construction / Project Director | $220k | $280k | $380k |
| Senior Project Manager | $160k | $195k | $250k |
| Commercial Manager | $170k | $210k | $270k |
| Senior Quantity Surveyor | $140k | $170k | $210k |
| Property / Asset Manager | $130k | $165k | $220k |
| Facilities Management Lead | $120k | $150k | $190k |
Talent demand by segment
Year-on-year, 2025 → 2026
- Commercial / cost management +8.9%
- Development management +6.3%
- Project delivery +5.5%
- Property / asset management +4.0%
Where supply is tightest
- Commercial managers, QS and contract administrators who protect margin.
- Senior project and construction directors with complex-delivery records.
- Development managers with feasibility and capital-partner experience.
- Asset and FM leaders running ESG retrofit and repositioning programmes.
What top talent now wants
- A stable, funded project pipeline and reduced exposure to cyclical risk.
- Quality projects that build a portfolio, not just headcount.
- Competitive base plus vehicle, bonus and clear progression.
- Reasonable work-life balance after years of intense delivery cycles.
How to win the hire
- Commercial and cost talent is the scarcest and most valuable — prioritise it.
- Pipeline certainty reassures candidates wary of cyclical downturns.
- Sell project quality and progression to differentiate from competitors.
- Retention of delivery teams between projects protects future capability.
Get the full Construction & Property Salary Guide
The complete edition adds location-by-location breakdowns, total-reward benchmarks (incentives and equity), diversity and retention data, and a 12-month outlook for every role band.
- City-level ranges across Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Hong Kong and Auckland
- Total-reward view — base, short- and long-term incentives
- Retention, counter-offer and time-to-hire benchmarks
- Forward outlook and reward recommendations
Need numbers specific to your structure and location? Altera's Talent Advisory practice delivers bespoke, defensible reward benchmarking. Book a consultation →
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