Levels of Management in Australian Businesses

Just like the rest of the world, the levels of management in Australia are also composed of a three-tier hierarchy: the top-level management, the middle-level management, and the lower-level management. In this blog, we will discuss the responsibilities of the leaders in each level, as well as their job titles and annual salaries.

If you are part of a startup business and are responsible for creating a structure for your organisation, knowing these levels of management can serve as your guide. Meanwhile, if you are a professional or someone who’s currently studying management and are looking to enter the corporate world, this article can help you determine which roles would be suitable for you.

Shall we start?

1. Top-Level Management

Made of senior-level executives, the top-level management includes the president, vice president, managing director, board of directors, and C-listers (e.g. CEO, COO, CFO, CMO). The top level, also known as the administrative level of management, has the power to control an organisation since the executives and directors are the decision-makers. Also, they govern the procedures and the policies of various business entities.

Here are the roles and responsibilities of the top level management:

• Determine company objectives and create policies
• Approve budget allocations for different departments
• Appoint department heads and leaders
• Accountable for reporting the performance of the organisation to shareholders
• Evaluate the effectiveness of policies and identify ways to keep the company growing
• Guide the entire organisation toward attaining company goals
• Represent the company in global events

Some Job Titles and Salaries:

Note: These annual salaries are referenced from Payscale and are in Australian Dollars.

• Chief Executive Officer: $96,947 – $353,837
• Chief Marketing Officer: $136,500 – $367,348
• President: $85,000 – $330,000
• Chief Operating Officer: $92,770 – $288,400
• Chief Financial Officer: $97,184 – $257,104
• Managing Director: $76,455 – $347,653
• Chief Technology Officer: $97,212 – $246,942
• Chief Information Officer: $92,114 – $355,309

How to Land a Role Like This

Becoming a C-lister or an executive is not a walk in the park. It takes decades of proving your expertise, capacity, and passion to lead an organisation, especially if it’s a global corporation.

However, if you are determined to land one of these roles in the future, you have to know that like anything else, the starting point is education. You must develop your leadership and decision making skills, and be equipped with the knowledge required for these crucial roles to reach the mountaintop.

A great starting point for yourself could be to study a leadership and management course such as a diploma or an advanced certificate. From there, as you progress up the corporate ladder, a qualification like a Bachelor of Applied Business with a major in management can significantly help you fast-track your results in getting the position you want.

Want a Top-Level Management Role in the Future?

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2. Middle-Level Management

All managers report directly to the top management. These individuals serve as the liaison between the executives and the rest of the organisation. Composed of branch managers and department heads, some of the common job titles at this level include the General manager, Regional Manager, Plant manager, and Divisional manager.

Here are the roles and responsibilities of the middle-level management:

• Interprets the plans and policies directed by the top management and conveys them to lower-level management
• Approve promotions
• Formulate an action plan for the sub-units of their departments
• Evaluate the performance of the lower-level management
• Spearhead training and seminars for lower-level management
• Coordinate company activities with the departments assigned to them
• Inspire lower-level management towards excellence
• Reporting of relevant company data to the top management

Some Job Titles and Salaries:

Note: These annual salaries are referenced from Payscale and are in Australian Dollars.

• Regional Sales Manager: $60,116 – $159,179
• General Manager: $60,532 – $241,582
• Plant Manager: $64,047 – $168,962
• Project Manager: $62,781 – $155,699
• Operations Manager: $52,544 – $137,857
• Branch Manager: $59,448 – $103,540
• Human Resource Manager: $57,012 – $136,385
• Marketing Manager: $51,327 – $124,849

How to Land a Role Like This

From a lower-level management role, you can get promoted or appointed to a middle-level management position when the upper management sees that you are “ready” to take on greater responsibilities. Yes, stepping up on this level has its perks such as a higher salary, but it also involves a lengthier list of duties.

Ask yourself if you are willing to stay in the office for long hours, to fix issues regional company issues, and more. The truth is, you’re the first person who can tell when you are truly ready.

To give you more confidence and help you get ready for this role, we suggest that you study and acquire an Advanced Certificate in Management and Team Leadership.  Additionally, enhancing your skills through marketing courses can provide a broader understanding of business dynamics that complement your leadership capabilities.

3. Lower-Level Management

Also known as the operative or supervisory level of management, this involves the supervisors, quality assurance inspectors, head nurses, section officers, superintendent, foreman, line boss, etc.

They are the people of contact for both the middle-level management and the majority of employees. They usually lead small teams in a specific department.

Here are the roles and responsibilities of the top level management:

• Delegate tasks to their subordinates
• Oversee the quality of work of their subordinates
• Help solve issues of their team
• Responsible for organising training for the workers
• Motivate employees to perform better
• Supervise their subordinates and ensure that they follow the principles of the company
• Responsible for ensuring proper decorum in the workplace
• Send reports to the middle-level management with regards to their team’s accomplishments
• Evaluate the performance of their subordinates
• Responsible for keeping the quality and quantity of the required outputs
• Represent the company well to the workers
• Coordinate company activities with the departments assigned to them
• Inspire lower-level management towards excellence
• Reporting of relevant company data to middle-level management
• Endorse people for promotion

Some Job Titles and Salaries:

Note: These annual salaries are referenced from Payscale and are in Australian Dollars.

• Senior Quality Assurance Inspector: $54,171 – $182,890
• Foreman: $45,009 – $179,372
• First-Line Supervisor: $44,480 – $112,694
• Content Manager: $44,186 – $93,100
• Head Nurse: $45,588 – $77,539
• Crew Leader: $31,503 – $78,301
• Office Manager: $44,412 – $76,958
• Retail Store Manager: $42,070 – $68,079

How to Land a Role Like This

Usually, supervisors scout for entry-level or associate-level employees with leadership potential and a great sense of responsibility. They identify people they can train to be their successor once they get promoted to a middle-level management position.

Having said that, you can rise from an entry-level role to a lower-level management role by showing your readiness to handle a team and exhibiting good decision-making skills even through the little things.

Just like the top-level and middle-level management roles, it will also be beneficial for you to brush up on your knowledge by studying business management. This will help you show them you are keen for the position.

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Where Can I Study Business Management Courses?

We’ve mentioned earlier that to be successful in the business management industry, you have to invest in equipping yourself with the knowledge required for leadership roles. One of the best ways to do this is to study business management courses.

Here at Get Course, we offer online business management courses including the Diploma of Business Administration (course duration: 1 year) and the Certificate in Project Management and Leadership.

You can take these self-paced online courses for only $25 per week in an interest-free payment plan. If you want to learn how to enrol and what are the requirements, please click the button below.

As you see, managing a group of people, regardless if you’re part of the top-level, middle-level, or lower-level management, has huge perks but even bigger responsibilities.

We hope you’ve gotten some great insight into the different levels of management in most Australian businesses from this blog. Indeed, it takes guts and inspiration to perform excellently at work, to soar high, and to continuously invest in educating yourself.

As famous Motivational Speaker Brian Tracy says “Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.”

For those starting or looking to advance in management, enrolling in leadership and management courses can be a crucial step. These programmes help refine your leadership abilities and prepare you for the challenges of managing at any level.

Thanks for reading!