# How long do large Australian manufacturing businesses take to pay small businesses?

Large Australian manufacturing businesses take a median of 31.8 days to pay their small business suppliers, 6.8 days slower than the median of 25 days for all industries. The industry ranks 1 of 18, where 1 is the slowest payer.

Figures cover large Australian businesses paying their small business suppliers only.

- Median days to pay small business: 31.8 (all industries: 25)
- Slowest-paying rank: 1 of 18
- Small business invoices paid late, median entity: 31%
- Companies entering external administration, 12 months: 666
- Reporting entities: 423

## Findings

- How many invoices are paid late? At the median entity, 31% of small business invoices are paid late, 5 points above the figure for all industries of 26%.
- How long do most take? The middle half of entities pay in 24.4 to 40 days. A quarter take longer than 40 days.
- How many businesses became insolvent? 666 manufacturing companies entered external administration over September 2025 to August 2026, rank 8 of 18 by number of cases. This is a count, not a rate.

## Where does manufacturing rank?

1. Manufacturing pays small business suppliers in a median of 31.8 days.
2. Construction pays small business suppliers in a median of 30 days.
3. Mining pays small business suppliers in a median of 28 days.
4. Wholesale Trade pays small business suppliers in a median of 27 days.
5. Transport, Postal and Warehousing pays small business suppliers in a median of 27 days.
6. Retail Trade pays small business suppliers in a median of 25.9 days.
7. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 25.4 days.
8. Health Care and Social Assistance pays small business suppliers in a median of 24.6 days.
9. Other Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 24.6 days.
10. Information Media and Telecommunications pays small business suppliers in a median of 24 days.
11. Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing pays small business suppliers in a median of 23 days.
12. Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 22.7 days.
13. Public Administration and Safety pays small business suppliers in a median of 22.1 days.
14. Accommodation and Food Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 21.7 days.
15. Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 21.3 days.
16. Administrative and Support Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 19.6 days.
17. Arts and Recreation Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 19.3 days.
18. Financial and Insurance Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 14.6 days.

## Which manufacturing subdivisions pay slowest?

Transport equipment manufacturing is the slowest subdivision at 41 days. Food product manufacturing is the fastest at 28 days.

| Subdivision | Median days | Middle half | Paid late | Entities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport equipment manufacturing | 41 | 35.3 to 48.4 | 27.8% | 26 |
| Machinery and equipment manufacturing | 34 | 27.2 to 40.3 | 39.7% | 74 |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 32.8 | 26.6 to 37.5 | 27.9% | 35 |
| Basic chemical and chemical product manufacturing | 32.7 | 25 to 40.9 | 25.7% | 46 |
| Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing | 31.8 | 24.3 to 37 | 30% | 21 |
| Primary metal and metal product manufacturing | 29.9 | 18.6 to 37.4 | 31.2% | 24 |
| Food product manufacturing | 28 | 20 to 39.8 | 30.1% | 118 |

Businesses that sell to manufacturing businesses can compare these figures with their own debtor days. Paidnice is [debtor management software in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/debtor-management-software): it sends reminders and adds late fees on overdue invoices in Xero or QuickBooks.

## Related guides

- [debtor management software in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/debtor-management-software)
- [Debtor management in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/debtor-management-software-australia)
- [What is debtor management?](https://www.paidnice.com/dictionary/debtor-management)
- [Australian accounts receivable statistics](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics/australia)
- [Late fees in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/late-fees-in-australia)
- [Collecting debt in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/full-guide-collecting-debt-in-australia)
- [Accounts receivable statistics](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics)
- [Accounts receivable software](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-software)

## Method and sources

This page reports how long large companies take to pay, from government payment filings. How long small businesses wait to be paid is a different measure on a different group of businesses, and it is on the accounts receivable statistics pages.

## Cite

Paidnice (2026). Australian manufacturing payment times. https://www.paidnice.com/payment-times/au/manufacturing. Source: Payment Times Reporting Scheme register (reports ending March 2025 to June 2026), ASIC insolvency statistics (© Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0).