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Aircraft Refueller salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an aircraft refueller is $80,600 per annum, before tax, up $16,900 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay varies a lot by employer, because refuelling sits under airport ground handling agreements or individual enterprise deals rather than one industry award.
- Shift loadings, night and weekend penalties and overtime make up a large share of the total, so the roster you work shapes your take-home pay as much as the base rate does.
The median salary rose by $16,900 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 aircraft refueller
The largest typical pay rise is $26,000 a year, moving into Railway Track Machine Operator.
- Railway Track Machine Operator+$26,000/yr
- Loader Operator+$14,000/yr
- Railway Shunter+$12,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher aircraft refueller salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time aircraft refueller salary is $80,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Plant and equipment operation and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general aircraft refueller experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Railway Track Machine Operator pays a typical $26,000 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."
Aircraft Refueller salary questions
How much do aircraft refuellers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an aircraft refueller is $80,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is aircraft refueller pay rising or falling?
The median aircraft refueller salary is up $16,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than aircraft refueller?
Railway Track Machine Operator pays a typical $26,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to aircraft refueller.
Related salaries
- Railway Shunter salary
- Railway Track Machine Operator salary
- Loader Operator salary
- Concrete Pump Operator salary
- Airport Ground Crew salary
- Crane Operator 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.