2026 guide · Prices checked September 2026

How much does social media management cost in Australia?

Most Australian agencies charge roughly A$1,000 to A$3,000 a month for social media management, usually plus GST, with entry packages from a few hundred dollars and full-service packages above A$7,500. A freelancer averages about A$69 an hour, and a full-time social media manager costs roughly A$95,000 to A$112,000 a year with super.

Below are the published prices behind those numbers, what changes the price, and when paying a person is the right call. Every figure links to its source at the bottom of the page.

Typical monthly costs in Australia

There are five ways to get your social media done. They are not the same product, so the table shows what you actually get as well as the price.

Typical monthly cost of each way to manage social media in Australia
Option	Typical cost	What you get
Agency	Most packages A$1,000–A$3,000 a month; from A$200 to A$7,500+, usually plus GST ^[1]^[6]^[7]^[8]	A team that plans, writes, designs and posts. Price rises with platforms, volume, video and ads.
Freelancer	Average A$69 an hour; most A$49–A$89 an hour, plus GST ^[9]	One person's hours. Quality and availability depend on the individual.
In-house hire	Base salary A$85,000–A$100,000 a year (middle range), plus 12% super ^[10]^[12]	A dedicated employee, plus leave, equipment, software and management time.
DIY scheduling tool	In US dollars (USD): US$18.75–US$82.50 a month (Later) or from US$99 per user a month (Hootsuite), billed yearly ^[13]^[14]	Software that publishes what you still have to plan, write and design.
AI agent (Qy!)	A$99–A$799 a month, including GST	Plans, writes, creates images and video (from Growth), schedules and publishes for one brand.

To compare like with like, add GST to agency prices quoted “plus GST”: a A$2,000 package costs A$2,200. Qy! prices already include GST.

For a freelancer, multiply the hourly rate by the hours you need. As an example, 20 hours a month at the A$69 average is A$1,380 plus GST. For an employee, the middle salary range plus 12% super works out to roughly A$7,900 to A$9,300 a month before leave, equipment and software.

Costs by city

Published prices show a bigger spread between agencies in the same city than between cities. Salary data by city also rests on small samples, so treat the city figures as a guide, not a rule.

Prices checked September 2026.

Published social media management prices and salaries by city
City	Published agency packages	Social media manager salary
Sydney	A$650 a month plus A$1,600 set-up (6-month minimum) ^[3]; A$1,200, A$1,800 or A$3,000 a month ^[2]; A$2,000+ to A$7,500+ a month ^[1]	Average A$83,330 (23 salaries) ^[11]
Melbourne	A$2,500 or A$4,000 a month plus GST, including paid ads management; ad spend extra; 6-month minimum ^[5]	Average A$88,389 (11 salaries) ^[11]
Brisbane	A$960, A$1,800 or A$3,120 a month ^[6]	Limited data – see national range
Perth	A$625, A$950 or A$1,650 a month plus GST ^[7]	Limited data – see national range
Adelaide	Varies. One agency lists packages from A$200 a month plus GST ^[8]	Limited data – see national range

Sydney. Sydney has the widest range we found, from a A$650 entry package to A$7,500+ for full-service work with a quarterly content shoot. Watch the extras: one agency adds a A$1,600 set-up fee and a six-month minimum, and another lists a monthly boost budget of A$300 to A$1,500 among what its A$1,590 to A$4,865 packages include.^[4]

Melbourne. The Melbourne agency we found bundles social media management with paid ads management, which is why its packages start at A$2,500 plus GST. The ad spend is extra, and there is a six-month minimum.

Brisbane. Brisbane prices follow the number of platforms: one platform at A$960, up to two at A$1,800 and up to three at A$3,120. One national agency with a Brisbane office publishes the same prices as in Sydney.^[1]

Perth and Adelaide. The Perth packages we found are among the lowest published, from A$625 plus GST for 10 posts a month across three channels. Few Adelaide agencies publish prices, so Adelaide varies; expect the same drivers as everywhere else.

Why the differences? Mostly scope and business model, not postcode. Larger agencies with offices in several cities carry more overhead and more production capability. Smaller local studios publish lower entry prices for fewer posts and platforms.

What changes the price

Platforms. Each extra platform adds work. One Brisbane agency goes from A$960 for one platform to A$3,120 for up to three.^[6]
Post volume. More posts cost more. A Perth agency charges A$625 for 10 posts a month and A$950 for 15.^[7]
Video. Video is the biggest jump. One agency’s package without video is A$2,000+ plus GST; with Reels it is A$4,800.^[1]
Ads management. Running paid ads is usually a separate fee, for example A$2,500 to A$3,500+ a month plus GST, and the ad spend itself is extra.^[1]
Community management. Replying to comments and messages takes time. One agency includes 30 minutes a week in its A$1,800 package and an hour a week at A$3,120.^[6]
Reporting. Most packages include a monthly report. Higher tiers add strategy calls, fortnightly reporting or quarterly reviews.^[6]^[1]

What you actually get for the money

An agency or specialist is buying you skilled people and their time. That is worth paying for when you need original photography, on-location filming, paid advertising, daily community management or hands-on campaign advice. If that is your situation, hire the right human specialist or agency.

A freelancer can be excellent value, but you are relying on one person’s availability. An in-house hire gives you the most control and the highest fixed cost. A scheduling tool is the cheapest option on paper, but you still do the planning, writing and design, so price your own time before calling it cheap.

If your main problem is getting consistent, on-brand posts planned, written, designed and published every month without doing it yourself, you may not need a team at all.

Where Qy! fits

Qy! is an AI social media agent from TheAgencyIQ, based in Brisbane. It learns your business, then plans, writes, creates the images and video your plan includes, schedules and publishes to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube. You choose whether to approve each post or let it publish automatically.

Qy! plans and what each includes
Plan	Price	Each month
Starter	A$99 a month, incl. GST	30 text posts, 10 image posts, no video, one brand
Growth	A$299 a month, incl. GST	90 text posts, 45 image posts, 2 videos, one brand
Professional	A$799 a month, incl. GST	150 text posts, 100 image posts, 10 videos, one brand

Free 14-day trial — 5 text posts and 1 video, on one brand. No credit card required. Your plan’s quota is only used when a post is confirmed as published. Compare every plan in detail on the pricing page.

See what Qy! would post for your business.

Start free for 14 days. Growth and above include video.

Start your free trial

Not ready to sign up? Try a free Lightning tool first: give Qy! one sentence about your business and get three posts for X, Facebook or LinkedIn, with no sign-up.

Frequently asked questions

How much does social media management cost in Australia?

Most Australian agency packages we found sit between roughly A$1,000 and A$3,000 a month, usually plus GST. The cheapest published packages start at A$200 to A$650 a month, and full-service packages run to A$7,500 or more. Freelancers average about A$69 an hour, and a full-time social media manager on a typical salary costs roughly A$95,000 to A$112,000 a year once 12% super is added. Qy! starts at A$99 a month including GST.

How much does social media management cost in Sydney?

Published Sydney packages range from A$650 a month plus a A$1,600 set-up fee (plus GST, six-month minimum) to A$7,500 or more a month plus GST for full-service work with video. A Sutherland Shire agency lists A$1,200, A$1,800 and A$3,000 a month. In-house, Indeed's Sydney average for a social media manager is A$83,330 a year.

What is typical pricing for social media management?

Social media management pricing is usually a fixed monthly package set by platforms, posts per month and whether video is included. For example, a Brisbane agency lists A$960 a month for one platform and 8 to 10 posts, A$1,800 for up to two platforms and 12 to 16 posts, and A$3,120 for up to three platforms and 20 or more posts.

What is a typical social media manager price if I hire someone?

A freelance social media manager in Australia averages about A$69 an hour (most charge A$49 to A$89, plus GST). An employee costs more in total: SEEK's middle range for base salary is A$85,000 to A$100,000 a year, plus 12% super, before leave, equipment and software.

What social media management fees should I expect beyond the monthly price?

Check for GST, set-up fees, minimum terms and ad spend. Many agencies quote prices plus GST. Some charge a set-up fee (one Sydney agency lists A$1,600) or require a six-month minimum. Paid ads management is usually a separate fee, and the ad spend itself is paid to Meta, TikTok or LinkedIn on top.

Why do social media management costs vary so much?

Costs follow the amount of human work. The biggest drivers are the number of platforms, posts per month, video production, paid ads management, community management and how detailed the reporting is. In the packages we found, prices vary far more between agencies in the same city than between cities.

Sources

Checked September 2026. Agency prices are as published on each agency’s own site; many exclude GST. Salary figures are averages reported by job sites and can include or exclude super.