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Air Conditioning Technician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an air conditioning technician is $109,200 per annum, before tax, up $23,100 since 2018.
- Where you work and what hours you work move the figure most.
- Commercial and industrial technicians covered by enterprise agreements generally earn more than residential installers, and overtime, after-hours callouts and breakdown work in summer add to a weekly wage.
- Running your own contracting business is the other common way earnings grow, though it comes with the cost of a van, tools and refrigerant handling gear.
The median salary rose by $23,100 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than air conditioning technician
The largest typical pay rise is $85,900 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$85,900/yr
- Electrician+$4,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher air conditioning technician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time air conditioning technician salary is $109,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Air Conditioning Technicians are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Hand and power tool work and Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general air conditioning technician experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $85,900 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Air Conditioning Technician salary questions
How much do air conditioning technicians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an air conditioning technician is $109,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is air conditioning technician pay rising or falling?
The median air conditioning technician salary is up $23,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than air conditioning technician?
Construction Manager pays a typical $85,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to air conditioning technician.
Related salaries
- Plumber salary
- Electrician salary
- Sheet Metal Worker salary
- Mechanical Services Plumber salary
- Construction Manager salary
- Electrical Trades Assistant salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.