Mortgage broker staff costs Australia is now one of the biggest strategic questions facing growing brokerages.
Wages are rising. Compliance is tightening. Aggregator expectations are increasing.
At the same time, competition is intensifying and borrower expectations are higher than ever.
If you are a foreign company exploring the Australian mortgage market, or an investor analysing brokerage models, understanding staff cost structures is critical. It directly impacts EBITDA, scalability, and valuation.
This guide breaks down:
No fluff. Just practical, board-level clarity.
When brokers calculate staffing expenses, most underestimate total cost by 20–35%.
Why? Because salary is only one component.
Let’s unpack the full picture.
According to Australian market benchmarks and SEEK salary data, typical ranges are:
| Role | Annual Salary (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Mortgage Broker (Employee) | $80,000 – $120,000 + commission |
| Mortgage Loan Processor | $65,000 – $85,000 |
| Credit Analyst | $75,000 – $95,000 |
| Broker Assistant | $60,000 – $75,000 |
| Admin Support | $55,000 – $70,000 |
Source references include SEEK Salary Guide and industry recruiter reports.
But this is just the beginning.
Under Australian law, employers must provide:
The Fair Work Act 2009 and National Employment Standards govern many of these obligations.
Real impact?
A $70,000 employee typically costs $85,000–$92,000 annually after statutory on-costs.
Beyond compliance, you also pay for:
The total fully loaded cost of a mid-level loan processor can exceed $100,000 per year.
That is the real mortgage broker staff costs Australia equation.
A typical Australian broker handles 6–10 settlements per month without support.
With a skilled assistant, that can increase to 12–18.
But here’s the catch:
If support staff are expensive, the margin gain shrinks.
This is why high-growth brokers rethink structure rather than simply hire locally.
| Cost Component | Local Loan Processor (AU) | Offshore Processor (Managed Model) |
|---|---|---|
| Base Cost | $75,000 | $28,000–$35,000 |
| On-Costs | $15,000 | Included |
| Office & IT | $10,000 | Included |
| Recruitment | $10,000 | Included |
| Compliance Admin | High | Managed |
| Total Annual Cost | ~$110,000 | ~$35,000–$45,000 |
This comparison illustrates why scalability decisions change EBITDA dramatically.
A brokerage with 5 support staff could reduce overhead by $300,000+ annually.
Mortgage brokers operate under:
Compliance requires:
Staffing must support regulatory risk mitigation.
This increases cost pressure.
Several macro drivers:
According to ABS labour market data, professional services wages have grown steadily over the past five years.
For foreign investors, this means margin compression unless structure evolves.
Let’s model a brokerage writing $50M per month.
Assumptions:
Gross upfront revenue: $3.6M
If staffing cost is $900,000 annually, that’s 25% of revenue.
If restructured to $450,000, operating margin increases dramatically.
This is why growth-focused firms rethink traditional local hiring.
High performers use hybrid structures:
This improves:
It is not about cost cutting alone.
It is about strategic capacity expansion.
If you are assessing entry into Australia, follow this 5-step model:
This allows informed decision-making.
It is not risk-free.
You must evaluate:
Mitigation includes:
Structured properly, risk is manageable.
Brokerage A hires 3 local processors.
Annual cost: ~$330,000.
Brokerage B uses managed offshore support.
Annual cost: ~$120,000.
Difference: $210,000.
That capital can fund:
Strategic advantage compounds.
Local staff are valuable for:
The optimal model is blended, not extreme.
Mortgage broker valuations often depend on:
Lower fixed overhead improves valuation multiples.
Investors understand this deeply.
Most support staff cost $85,000–$110,000 annually when fully loaded with super, leave, office and compliance costs included.
Typical salaries range from $65,000 to $85,000 per year, excluding superannuation and employer on-costs.
Yes, if structured properly. Brokers remain responsible under NCCP and ASIC rules. Offshore teams must follow Australian compliance frameworks.
It can reduce fixed overhead and improve scalability. However, governance and quality control are essential.
High-performing brokerages aim to keep total staffing costs below 20–25% of gross revenue.
Mortgage broker staff costs Australia is no longer just an HR question.
It is a profitability and scalability decision.
For foreign companies entering Australia, understanding full cost structures is essential before committing capital.
The most successful brokers do not simply hire more people.
They redesign the operating model.