Quick answer: Ads management cost in Australia is typically $800–$2,000 a month per platform or 10–20% of spend, separate from your ad budget.
Ad management fees in Australia vary widely, from a few hundred dollars a month to many thousands. Here’s what’s typical, how pricing is usually structured and what you should get for your money. Remember this is separate from your ad spend, which you pay to Google or Meta directly.
Typical ranges
For a small to medium service business, Australian ad management typically falls in these ranges:
| Model | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | about $800–$2,000 per platform per month |
| Percentage of ad spend | about 10–20% of monthly spend, often with a minimum fee |
| Setup fee | $0 to $2,500+, depending on tracking and landing pages |
| Hourly (freelancers) | roughly $80–$180 per hour |
Larger accounts or agencies with bigger teams charge more. Very cheap offers (a few hundred dollars a month for “full management”) usually mean very little time spent on your account.
The pricing models
Flat monthly retainer
A fixed fee for agreed work. Predictable for both sides. Make sure the scope is clear: how many campaigns, how often optimised, what reporting.
Percentage of ad spend
Common in agencies. Simple and scales with account size. The downside: the manager earns more when you spend more, regardless of results. A percentage with a minimum and a cap is common.
Hybrid
A base fee plus a percentage above a certain spend level.
Performance-based
Pay per lead or a share of revenue. Rare for genuine management, because results depend on things the marketer doesn’t control (your follow-up, pricing, close rate). Read terms carefully.
What should be included
At minimum:
- Campaign setup and ongoing optimisation
- Conversion tracking set up and checked
- Keyword research and search term reviews (Google)
- Creative and copy (or clear direction on what you supply) for Meta
- Monthly reporting tied to leads and cost per lead, not just clicks
- Recommendations on landing pages and follow-up
Often extra:
- Landing page design and build
- Video and photo production
- CRM and automation setup
- Ad spend itself
How much should management be relative to spend?
A rough sanity check: if your ad spend is $1,500 a month and management is $1,500, you’re paying as much for management as for advertising. That can still make sense if the setup and tracking are complex, but at low budgets, consider a one-off setup with lighter ongoing support, or learning to manage simple campaigns yourself. See can you run Google Ads on $500 a month?
Red flags
- You don’t own the ad account (see who should own your Google Ads account)
- Ad spend is bundled into the fee so you can’t see what Google or Meta actually received
- Long lock-in contracts with no performance review points
- Reports full of impressions and clicks but no leads or costs per lead
- No mention of conversion tracking
How to compare quotes
Ask each provider:
- What exactly will you do each month, and how many hours does that represent?
- Who will actually work on my account?
- How will you measure success?
- What’s the notice period?
- Who owns the accounts and data?
More in questions to ask before hiring a marketer.
Sources and further reading
Written by Gregory
20 years building websites and running lead generation. Based in Sydney, working with clients worldwide. How I work →