Fourteen roles, one method: what Seek advertises in Sydney, what superannuation adds, and what the same role costs as a dedicated offshore team member. Every figure is sourced, dated and free to quote.
In September 2026, a full-time offshore team member through Offshored costs a median of 67 percent less than the equivalent Sydney hire. The benchmark compares Seek's average advertised Sydney salary for fourteen roles, plus the 12 percent superannuation guarantee, with Offshored's published all-inclusive monthly fee for the same role. Savings range from 59 to 76 percent at the midpoint, and the median gap is A$60,300 a year for each role.
Each finding is a complete sentence so that it can be quoted as it stands. All five are calculated from the full table using the method below.
The Sydney bar is the midpoint of Seek's advertised salary range for the job title, plus the 12 percent superannuation guarantee. The Offshored bar is twelve months of the published fee for the matching role, at the midpoint of its band. That fee is the whole cost: there is no superannuation, payroll tax or recruitment fee on top, because team members are employed in the Philippines by Australian Pathways OPC.
Source: Seek salary pages refreshed 1 September 2026, read 20 September 2026; ATO superannuation guarantee rate; Offshored published fees. The same figures are in the full table below.
The saving is widest where Sydney salaries are highest. An executive assistant or an estimator costs 76 percent less through Offshored at the midpoint, because the Offshored fee band moves far less between roles than Sydney salaries do. The narrowest gap, 59 percent, is the AI Operator band against a Sydney automation specialist, because that band runs up to A$5,500 a month for senior AI Pod Leads.
Source: Seek salary pages refreshed 1 September 2026, read 20 September 2026; ATO superannuation guarantee rate; Offshored published fees. The same figures are in the full table below.
Every Seek figure links to the page it came from. "Saving at midpoint" compares the midpoint of the Sydney range with superannuation against the midpoint of the Offshored fee for a year. "Cautious" compares the bottom of the Sydney range with the top of the Offshored band, and "upper" does the reverse.
| Role | Sydney advertised salary (Seek) | With 12% superannuation | Offshored fee, per month | Offshored fee, per year | Saving at midpoint | Cautious to upper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administration officer Offshored role: Virtual assistant or administrator | A$70,000 to A$80,000 | A$78,400 to A$89,600 | A$1,900 to A$2,400 | A$22,800 to A$28,800 | 69% | 63% to 75% |
| Customer service representative | A$65,000 to A$75,000 | A$72,800 to A$84,000 | A$1,900 to A$2,400 | A$22,800 to A$28,800 | 67% | 60% to 73% |
| Assistant property manager Offshored role: Property management assistant | A$70,000 to A$80,000 | A$78,400 to A$89,600 | A$1,900 to A$2,400 | A$22,800 to A$28,800 | 69% | 63% to 75% |
| Bookkeeper | A$75,000 to A$85,000 | A$84,000 to A$95,200 | A$2,100 to A$2,800 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 | 67% | 60% to 74% |
| Accounts payable officer | A$75,000 to A$85,000 | A$84,000 to A$95,200 | A$2,100 to A$2,800 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 | 67% | 60% to 74% |
| Accounts receivable officer | A$75,000 to A$85,000 | A$84,000 to A$95,200 | A$2,100 to A$2,800 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 | 67% | 60% to 74% |
| Payroll officer Offshored role: Payroll administrator | A$85,000 to A$100,000 | A$95,200 to A$112,000 | A$2,100 to A$2,800 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 | 72% | 65% to 78% |
| Executive assistant | A$100,000 to A$120,000 | A$112,000 to A$134,400 | A$2,100 to A$2,800 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 | 76% | 70% to 81% |
| Accountant | A$80,000 to A$90,000 | A$89,600 to A$100,800 | A$2,400 to A$3,400 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 | 63% | 54% to 71% |
| Marketing coordinator Offshored role: Digital marketing coordinator | A$75,000 to A$85,000 | A$84,000 to A$95,200 | A$2,400 to A$3,400 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 | 61% | 51% to 70% |
| Digital marketing specialist Offshored role: Digital marketing coordinator | A$85,000 to A$100,000 | A$95,200 to A$112,000 | A$2,400 to A$3,400 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 | 66% | 57% to 74% |
| Draftsperson Offshored role: Drafter | A$85,000 to A$105,000 | A$95,200 to A$117,600 | A$2,400 to A$3,400 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 | 67% | 57% to 76% |
| Estimator | A$120,000 to A$140,000 | A$134,400 to A$156,800 | A$2,400 to A$3,400 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 | 76% | 70% to 82% |
| Automation specialist Offshored role: AI Operator | A$100,000 to A$110,000 | A$112,000 to A$123,200 | A$2,450 to A$5,500 | A$29,400 to A$66,000 | 59% | 41% to 76% |
Download the dataset: offshore staffing cost benchmark 2026 (CSV). It holds every row above plus the Melbourne and Brisbane rows, with the Seek address and refresh date for each figure. Fees for all 32 roles are on the pricing page and the roles page.
Seek advertises customer service representatives at A$65,000 to A$75,000 a year in Sydney and A$60,000 to A$65,000 in both Melbourne and Brisbane, while the Offshored fee for the role is A$22,800 to A$28,800 a year wherever the client is based (September 2026). Advertised salaries for the four roles below differ by up to A$10,000 between the three cities, and the Offshored fee does not change with the client's location.
Source: Seek salary pages refreshed 1 September 2026, read 20 September 2026; ATO superannuation guarantee rate; Offshored published fees. The same figures are in the full table below.
| Role | Sydney (Seek) | Melbourne (Seek) | Brisbane (Seek) | Offshored fee, per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | A$75,000 to A$85,000 | A$75,000 to A$90,000 | A$75,000 to A$85,000 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 |
| Accountant | A$80,000 to A$90,000 | A$80,000 to A$95,000 | A$80,000 to A$95,000 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 |
| Administration officer | A$70,000 to A$80,000 | A$65,000 to A$75,000 | A$65,000 to A$80,000 | A$22,800 to A$28,800 |
| Customer service representative | A$65,000 to A$75,000 | A$60,000 to A$65,000 | A$60,000 to A$65,000 | A$22,800 to A$28,800 |
Local detail, including each state's payroll tax and the time difference with Manila, is on the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane pages.
The Sydney table above adds superannuation and nothing else. This table answers the two questions readers ask next: what is the legal minimum for each role, and what does an Australian hire cost once leave loading and workers compensation are added? It uses Seek's Australia wide advertised range rather than the Sydney range, so the two tables are not interchangeable; each carries its own method. Every figure was read on 26 September 2026.
| Role | Award floor, annual (Fair Work pay guide, 1 July 2026) | National advertised salary (Seek, September 2026) | Cost with 15.05% on-costs, at midpoint | Offshored fee, per year | Saving at midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | A$67,174 Clerks Award Level 5 | A$75,000 to A$90,000 Seek | A$94,913 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 | 69.0% |
| Accountant | A$67,174 Award free in accounting firms; Banking, Finance and Insurance Award Level 5 shown as reference | A$80,000 to A$95,000 Seek | A$100,665 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 | 65.4% |
| Accounts payable and receivable officer | A$64,553 Clerks Award Level 4 | A$75,000 to A$85,000 Seek, accounts payable and Seek, accounts receivable | A$92,037 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 | 68.1% |
| Administration officer | A$61,469 Clerks Award Level 3 | A$65,000 to A$80,000 Seek | A$83,408 | A$22,800 to A$28,800 | 69.1% |
| Executive assistant | A$67,174 Clerks Award Level 5 | A$90,000 to A$110,000 Seek | A$115,046 | A$25,200 to A$33,600 | 74.4% |
| Customer service representative | A$58,193 Clerks Award Level 2, year 1 | A$60,000 to A$65,000 Seek | A$71,904 | A$22,800 to A$28,800 | 64.1% |
| Assistant property manager | A$58,193 Real Estate Industry Award, level 2 (representative level) | A$65,000 to A$75,000 Seek | A$80,532 | A$22,800 to A$28,800 | 68.0% |
| Digital marketing specialist | A$67,174 Clerks Award Level 5 (reference; may be award free) | A$85,000 to A$100,000 Seek | A$106,418 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 | 67.3% |
| Estimator | A$67,174 Clerks Award Level 5 (reference; coverage varies) | A$105,000 to A$125,000 Seek | A$132,303 | A$28,800 to A$40,800 | 73.7% |
| AI Operator (automation specialist) | A$78,586 Professional Employees Award level 2 (reference; hourly rate x 38 x 52) | A$95,000 to A$115,000 Seek | A$120,798 | A$29,400 to A$66,000 | 60.5% |
| Ten roles together | A$998,025 | A$317,700 at midpoints | 68.2% |
Across the ten roles the Australian employment cost at the midpoint totals A$998,025 a year against A$317,700 through Offshored, a difference of A$680,325 or 68.2 percent. By role the saving runs from 60.5 percent (AI Operator (automation specialist)) to 74.4 percent (Executive assistant). On the Sydney method above, superannuation only, the median across fourteen roles is 67 percent; adding leave loading and workers compensation on national ranges gives 68.2 percent across ten roles. The two figures are consistent, and each is labelled with its own method so that either can be quoted.
Download the dataset: offshore staffing cost benchmark, national view 2026 (CSV). It holds every row above with the award classification, the pay guide address, the Seek address and the on-cost rates used. Seek's customer service figure is its "customer service call centre representative" page. Cross-check ranges from Robert Half, Hays, Indeed, Payscale, Glassdoor and Jobs and Skills Australia were read the same day and sit within the working file, available on request.
The aim is a comparison anyone can check in ten minutes. Two public numbers go in for each role, one calculation is applied, and nothing is estimated.
Suggested citation: Offshored, "2026 Australian offshore staffing cost benchmark", September 2026, https://offshored.net/offshore-staffing-cost-benchmark. You are welcome to quote any figure or reproduce any chart with a link to this page as the source.
Journalists and researchers: for the working file or a comment, email connect@offshored.net. This page is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice.
In September 2026, a full-time offshore team member through Offshored costs a median of 67 percent less than the equivalent Sydney hire, measured as Seek's average advertised salary plus 12 percent superannuation against Offshored's all-inclusive fee. Across fourteen roles the saving ranges from 59 to 76 percent at the midpoint.
Every Australian figure is the average annual salary range Seek publishes for that job title and city on its public career advice pages. Each page was read on 20 September 2026 and showed a refresh date of 1 September 2026. Each figure in the table links to its Seek page.
It adds the 12 percent superannuation guarantee to the Australian salary and nothing else. Payroll tax, workers compensation insurance, recruitment fees, leave cover, equipment and office space are left out of the Australian side, which makes the comparison cautious. If the advertised salary already included superannuation, the saving at the midpoint would still be 55 to 73 percent.
The Offshored monthly fee covers the team member's salary, 13th month pay, statutory Philippine contributions, health cover after probation, payroll, recruitment, replacement and day to day HR. Team members are employed in the Philippines by Australian Pathways OPC, a registered Philippine company. There is no recruitment fee and no lock-in contract.
Yes. You are welcome to quote any figure or chart from this benchmark with a link to this page as the source. The dataset is also available as a CSV file from this page.
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