Seek's September 2026 salary data for fourteen office roles, the compulsory costs on top, and how the offshore alternative compares.
In September 2026, a Sydney office hire costs the advertised salary plus at least 12 percent superannuation: A$89,600 a year for a bookkeeper at the midpoint of Seek's advertised range, before payroll tax, workers compensation insurance, recruitment fees, leave cover and equipment. The equivalent full-time offshore team member through Offshored costs A$29,400 a year, which is 67 percent less.
The figure in a job advertisement is the figure most small businesses budget around. It is also the smallest honest version of what the hire will cost.
In September, my team at Offshored went through Seek's published salary data for fourteen common office roles in Sydney, from administration officers to estimators. We wanted to know what each role costs an employer once the compulsory extras go on top, and how that compares with the offshore alternative that more owners are now weighing up. The results are worth a look whether or not you ever hire outside Australia.
Seek publishes an average annual salary range for most job titles in each capital city, based on the salaries in its job advertisements. Every page we read on 20 September 2026 had been refreshed on 1 September.
A Sydney bookkeeper sits at A$75,000 to A$85,000. An administration officer is advertised at A$70,000 to A$80,000, a customer service representative at A$65,000 to A$75,000, an accountant at A$80,000 to A$90,000, a payroll officer at A$85,000 to A$100,000 and an executive assistant at A$100,000 to A$120,000. Estimators top the list at A$120,000 to A$140,000.
Owners sometimes assume the answer is to hire in a cheaper city. The data says otherwise. Bookkeepers are advertised at A$75,000 to A$90,000 in Melbourne and A$75,000 to A$85,000 in Brisbane, which is level with Sydney or above it. Of the four roles we checked in all three cities, only customer service was clearly cheaper outside Sydney, at A$60,000 to A$65,000 in both Melbourne and Brisbane.
The superannuation guarantee has been 12 percent since 1 July 2025. At the midpoint of Seek's advertised range, that turns an A$80,000 bookkeeper into an A$89,600 commitment each year. For an executive assistant, superannuation alone comes to A$13,200 a year. For an estimator it is A$15,600.
That is still not the full cost. Payroll tax applies once your total wages pass the state threshold, at 5.45 percent in New South Wales. Then there is workers compensation insurance, a recruitment agency fee if you use one, cover while the person is on leave, and a laptop and a desk. We left all of those out of our comparison deliberately, so treat A$89,600 as the floor for that bookkeeper, not the ceiling.
A disclosure first. The offshore figures below are Offshored's own published fees, not a market survey. They are all-inclusive monthly fees, invoiced in Australian dollars, covering the team member's salary, 13th month pay, statutory Philippine contributions, health cover after probation, payroll, recruitment and day to day HR. That makes them a fair match for salary plus superannuation on the Australian side. The pricing page lists the band for every role.
A full-time offshore bookkeeper based in the Philippines costs A$2,100 to A$2,800 a month, or A$29,400 a year at the midpoint. Against A$89,600, that is 67 percent less. Across the fourteen roles the difference ranged from 59 to 76 percent, with a median of 67 percent, or about A$60,300 a year for each role. The full table, the method and a downloadable dataset are in the 2026 Australian offshore staffing cost benchmark.
We also ran the harshest version of the sums: the bottom of Seek's salary range against the top of the fee band. Every role still came out at least 41 percent lower, and thirteen of the fourteen at least 51 percent lower. One caution applies in the other direction. Seek notes that some advertised salaries already include superannuation. If every one of them did, the range at the midpoint would be 55 to 73 percent.
A benchmark like this compares prices, not output. An offshore team member is a different arrangement from a local employee. Offshored's team members are employed in the Philippines by Australian Pathways OPC, a registered Philippine company. You direct their work each day, and Offshored looks after recruitment, payroll and HR. That suits some roles well and others badly.
It suits work that is process driven, done on a screen and carried out in cloud systems you already use: bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, payroll administration, inbox and calendar management, drafting and estimating from plans, and customer service by phone, email or chat.
It does not suit work that has to happen on site, or work that legally requires the person doing it to hold an Australian licence or registration. It also does not suit a business where nobody has time to manage the role. An offshore hire who is not managed fails for the same reasons a local one does. Distance only hides it for longer.
Your obligations do not move offshore with the work either. If your business is covered by the Privacy Act, you remain accountable for how personal information is handled overseas. Ask any provider how system access is granted, controlled and removed before you ask about price. Our own answers are on the data security page.
First, what is the real annual cost? Take the salary, add 12 percent superannuation, then payroll tax if you are over the threshold, workers compensation and any recruitment fee. Write that number down before you compare it with anything.
Second, which parts of the role must happen in the room? It is often fewer than the job title suggests. The role can often be split in two: a senior person locally who deals with clients and makes the judgement calls, supported by an offshore team member who keeps the process moving.
Third, who will manage this person each day, and do they have the time? If the honest answer is nobody, fix that before you hire anyone, anywhere.
The salary gap between Australia and the Philippines is not news. What stands out in the data is how consistent the gap is across very different roles, and how much of the Australian cost sits outside the advertised salary. Whatever you decide about your next hire, decide it with the full number in front of you. If you are comparing providers, these twelve questions work on any of them.
Seek's advertised salary range for a Sydney bookkeeper is A$75,000 to A$85,000 (refreshed 1 September 2026). At the midpoint, with the 12 percent superannuation guarantee added, the cost is A$89,600 a year before payroll tax, workers compensation insurance, recruitment fees, leave cover and equipment.
The 12 percent superannuation guarantee applies to every employee. Payroll tax applies once total wages pass the state threshold, at 5.45 percent in New South Wales. Employers also pay workers compensation insurance, any recruitment agency fee, cover while the person is on leave, and equipment and office space.
Not by much. In September 2026 Seek advertised bookkeepers at A$75,000 to A$90,000 in Melbourne and A$75,000 to A$85,000 in Brisbane, level with Sydney or above it. Of the four roles compared across the three cities, only customer service was clearly cheaper outside Sydney, at A$60,000 to A$65,000.
Across fourteen office roles, a full-time offshore team member through Offshored costs 59 to 76 percent less than the Sydney hire at the midpoint of Seek's advertised range plus 12 percent superannuation, with a median of 67 percent. On the most cautious comparison every role is still at least 41 percent lower.
General information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Salary figures are Seek's advertised ranges read on 20 September 2026. Sources and method are in the benchmark. For a full breakdown of what the monthly fee covers, see the offshore staff cost guide.
Book a 20-minute call and we will set the Australian cost of your role beside a fixed monthly fee for the offshore equivalent. We reply within one business hour, 8am to 6pm AEST, Monday to Friday.
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