Sales Hiring Trends and Salary Pressures in Australia

Australia's sales job market is showing signs of stability despite a broader environment of economic uncertainty and shifting employment trends. According to SEEK data, overall application rates have risen by 22% year-on-year, yet this activity varies significantly across sectors. Within the sales field, however, demand has remained remarkably consistent over the past 18 months, with stable ad volumes and a steady increase in candidate applications.

The key trend influencing both recruitment and retention in sales is salary—specifically, the expectation of regular salary reviews. With ongoing cost-of-living pressures, many candidates are now prioritising transparency around salary progression over immediate increases. This shift in priorities reflects a deeper desire for financial predictability and open employer communication.

New business development and account management roles continue to see the most growth, while support and senior-level positions remain relatively flat. The rise in applications has not necessarily translated into better hiring outcomes, with many organisations struggling to find candidates who meet both skill and cultural fit requirements. These conditions have created a highly active but discerning candidate market, where movement is often driven by necessity rather than ambition.

In parallel, emerging trends such as AI integration into sales processes and evolving role definitions are reshaping the skills and expectations needed in the field.

In a discussion led by Sharna Bryant, Permanent Senior Consultant at people2people, Danny Merrigan, Account Director at SEEK, shared insights into the evolving dynamics of the Australian sales recruitment landscape.

Merrigan pointed to a fragmented job market: “There are pockets where there's a lot of growth, there's pockets where there's quite a bit of decline.” In contrast, sales roles have maintained steady demand. “It's very stable over the past eighteen months,” he noted, underscoring the reliability of sales opportunities even amid broader market fluctuations.

While application volumes are up, hiring challenges persist. “You're getting candidates through the door, but you're not necessarily getting the right candidates… that culture fit is quite hard to nail,” Merrigan explained. This mismatch between application quantity and candidate suitability reflects the pressures of a market where job seekers are motivated more by financial necessity than strategic career moves.

Salary remains the top motivator. Merrigan elaborated: “Salary review period is now the most important thing people look for when they're looking for a new job on SEEK.” With fewer employers openly discussing pay progression, this lack of transparency often pushes candidates to explore external opportunities, even if their salary goals are modest. Bryant added, “The current employer should be doing it and they aren't.”

Opportunities remain strongest in specific areas: “There's always a demand for new business developments… and that account management role too,” Merrigan said. He also noted that support roles are seeing less growth, potentially impacted by the increasing adoption of AI in sales processes.

At the senior level, activity has remained flat, a sign of relative stability. “We just haven't seen the churn at that level,” Merrigan commented, contrasting it with the higher turnover in field sales and business development roles. These insights point to a market where middle-tier roles are most fluid, while higher-level professionals are more selective, often driven by complex motivations beyond salary.

The trend toward rising salary expectations appears to be continuing. SEEK data shows a 4% year-on-year increase in advertised sales salaries, with a 1.1% rise in the last quarter alone. Merrigan concluded, “It may hit north of four percent increase year on year in the not too distant future.”

• Prioritise transparent communication around salary review timelines—even without promising immediate increases—to enhance retention.

• Focus on cultural fit and long-term potential during recruitment, as high application volumes may not equate to ideal candidates.

• Recognise the growing demand for new business development and account management roles and tailor hiring strategies accordingly.

• Monitor the impact of AI on support roles and consider reskilling or role evolution to maintain relevance.

• Understand that senior-level candidates are more selective; attraction strategies must go beyond compensation to include role purpose and growth.