Reference Data

Business Sale Multiples — All Sectors

A complete reference table of earnings multiples across every major sector in Australia. Sortable by multiple, sector, and category. Each row links to the full article with deal drivers and what kills the multiple.

33 Sectors Covered

2.3–4.0×

Average Range

Across all sectors

7×

Highest Multiple

IT Services / MSP

0.5×

Lowest Multiple

Hair Salon

3 Bases

Valuation Bases

EBITDA · SDE · Revenue

EBITDA

Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation & Amortisation

Used for larger businesses with staff and systems. Excludes owner salary.

SDE

Seller's Discretionary Earnings

Used for owner-operated small businesses. Adds back owner salary and personal expenses to EBITDA.

Revenue

Annual Recurring Revenue

Used for service businesses where earnings are thin but client relationships are the asset (e.g. bookkeeping).

EBIT

Earnings Before Interest & Tax

Used for professional services firms. Includes depreciation unlike EBITDA.

Filter:33 sectors

Sector ↕	Category ↕	Basis	Low ↕	High ↕	Midpoint ↓ ↓	Range Visual	Key Notes	Article
Child Care Centre	Education & Care	EBITDA	4×	7×	5.5×	0×8×	Approved places and occupancy rate matter more than EBITDA alone. 90% occupancy with 90 places is a premium asset.	Read article →
Pharmacy	Health & Professional	EBITDA	4×	6×	5.0×	0×8×	Regulatory licensing, PBS revenue, and location restrictions create a barrier to entry buyers pay a premium for.	Read article →
IT Services / MSP	Health & Professional	EBITDA	3×	7×	5.0×	0×8×	Recurring managed services revenue with high client retention trades at the top. Project-based IT at the bottom.	Read article →
Fire Protection	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	3.5×	5.5×	4.5×	0×8×	Recurring service revenue and regulated demand attract both trade buyers and private equity.	Read article →
Mining Services	Industrial & Transport	EBITDA	3×	5.5×	4.3×	0×8×	Tier-1 miner contracts on long terms trade at the top. Project-based subcontractors at the bottom.	Read article →
Logistics & 3PL	Industrial & Transport	EBITDA	3×	5×	4.0×	0×8×	Contracted B2B clients and management layer push to upper end. Owner-operated single-truck at 2.0–2.5× SDE.	Read article →
Warehousing & Storage	Industrial & Transport	EBITDA	3×	5×	4.0×	0×8×	Long-term storage agreements and owned or long-leased premises command premium multiples.	—
Food Manufacturing	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	3×	5×	4.0×	0×8×	Proprietary product with retail distribution commands premium. Contract manufacturers with single major customer at 2.5–3.0×.	Read article →
Consulting Engineering	Health & Professional	EBIT	3×	5×	4.0×	0×8×	Principal must not be the sole technical relationship. Buyer's first question: what happens when the founder leaves?	Read article →
Manufacturing (General)	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	2.5×	4.5×	3.5×	0×8×	Proprietary product and diversified customer base push to upper end. Job-shop manufacturers at lower end.	Read article →
Solar & Battery Installation	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	2.5×	4.5×	3.5×	0×8×	Recurring maintenance contracts and accreditation status separate premium businesses from average ones.	Read article →
Allied Health (Physio / Psych)	Health & Professional	EBITDA	2.5×	4.5×	3.5×	0×8×	Goodwill is personal. Referral fragility and practitioner dependency are priced into every offer.	Read article →
Transport & Freight	Industrial & Transport	EBITDA	2.5×	4×	3.3×	0×8×	Fleet ownership, contract quality, and driver retention are the key variables.	Read article →
Import & Distribution	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	2.5×	4×	3.3×	0×8×	Supplier exclusivity and diversified customer base are critical. Single-supplier dependency is a major risk flag.	Read article →
Wholesale Trade	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	2.5×	4×	3.3×	0×8×	Recurring B2B accounts and proprietary brands command higher multiples than commodity wholesale.	—
Supermarket (Independent)	Hospitality & Retail	EBITDA	2.5×	4×	3.3×	0×8×	Rent-to-revenue ratio is the single most important number. Buyers know the real cost is ongoing occupancy.	Read article →
Car Rental	Hospitality & Retail	EBITDA	2.5×	4×	3.3×	0×8×	Capital-intensive. Fleet is the primary asset. Traditional EBITDA multiples don't always tell the full story.	Read article →
Electrical	Trades & Services	EBITDA	2×	4×	3.0×	0×8×	Scaled commercial contractors with licensed staff trade at 3–4×. Sole operators rarely exceed $100k goodwill.	Read article →
RTO / Training	Health & Professional	EBITDA	2×	4×	3.0×	0×8×	Government funding dependency and ASQA compliance history are the key risk factors.	Read article →
Engineering Workshop / CNC	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	2×	3.5×	2.8×	0×8×	Equipment condition, customer concentration, and owner dependency are the deciding factors.	Read article →
Timber Mill / Wholesale	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	2×	3.5×	2.8×	0×8×	Asset-heavy balance sheets. Log supply agreements and processing vs distribution margins matter significantly.	Read article →
Kitchen Cabinets / Joinery	Industrial & B2B	EBITDA	2×	3.5×	2.8×	0×8×	Showroom with recurring builder relationships commands more than project-based operations.	Read article →
Plumbing	Trades & Services	EBITDA	2×	3.5×	2.8×	0×8×	Commercial work with staff and systems is worth significantly more than owner-operated residential.	Read article →
Pool Services / Construction	Trades & Services	EBITDA	2×	3.5×	2.8×	0×8×	Service routes with recurring maintenance contracts trade better than construction-only businesses.	Read article →
Construction	Trades & Services	EBITDA	1.5×	3.5×	2.5×	0×8×	Project-based revenue is hard to forecast. Builder's licence often personal. Forward order book is critical.	Read article →
Convenience Store	Hospitality & Retail	EBITDA	2×	3×	2.5×	0×8×	The 5% rent rule is the first filter every buyer applies. Above that threshold, the business is very hard to sell.	Read article →
Landscaping / Gardening	Trades & Services	EBITDA	1.5×	3×	2.3×	0×8×	Commercial maintenance contracts with recurring revenue trade at the top. Residential lawn mowing at the bottom.	Read article →
Café	Hospitality & Retail	SDE	1.5×	2.5×	2.0×	0×8×	Rent as % of revenue and lease length drive value more than turnover. Above 10% rent-to-revenue is a red flag.	Read article →
Gelato / Ice Cream	Hospitality & Retail	SDE	1.5×	2.5×	2.0×	0×8×	Seasonality is the central challenge. Buyers price revenue volatility directly into the offer.	Read article →
Jewellery Store	Hospitality & Retail	SDE	1×	2×	1.5×	0×8×	Buyers pay for location, lease, and recurring customers — not inventory at retail value.	Read article →
Newsagency	Hospitality & Retail	SDE	1×	2×	1.5×	0×8×	Lottery commissions and stationery now drive more profit than print. Buyer pool is narrower than a decade ago.	Read article →
Bookkeeping / Accounting	Health & Professional	Revenue	0.9×	1.3×	1.1×	0×8×	Priced on recurring fee revenue, not earnings. Buyers are usually other bookkeepers or accounting firms.	Read article →
Hair Salon	Hospitality & Retail	SDE	0.5×	1.5×	1.0×	0×8×	Solo operators rarely attract offers above $80k. Brand-loyal client base (not person-loyal) commands more.	Read article →

LLow end of range

HHigh end of range

MMidpoint

Multiples are indicative. Actual achieved multiples depend on deal structure, buyer type, and market conditions at time of sale.

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