Auctioneer
Auctioneers run the live sale that sets the final price for a property, a pen of cattle or a room of goods, calling for bids until one buyer is left.
- Median salary*
- $64,500
4.5%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 570
5.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +4.8%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 46/wk
+6h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Auctioneers handle the sale itself, calling bids at property auctions, livestock saleyards, art rooms and clearance sales until the hammer falls. The agents, vendors and gallery staff who bring them the listing and run the marketing beforehand are doing a different job, which is where the two roles are often confused. Most work as contractors booked for the day by an agency, auction house or vendor, though some hold a salaried position inside a large agency.
How much do auctioneers earn?
The median full-time salary for an auctioneer is $64,500 per annum, before tax, up $13,700 since 2018.
Auctioneer earnings move with the number of sales you run and the fee agreed for each one, because many work per auction rather than for a salary. Auctioneers attached to a real estate agency are often paid a share of the agency's fee, while livestock and clearance auctioneers may work to a day rate or a percentage of the sale total. A regular client list and a record of strong clearance rates make more difference to your income than the number of years you have been calling.
What does an auctioneer do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Reading a room quickly to sense who is still bidding and who has reached their ceiling
- Agreeing a reserve with the vendor beforehand, then holding it under pressure on the day
- Keeping the call at a steady rhythm that builds urgency without losing the crowd's attention
- Tracking bids from the floor, the phone lines and an online platform at the same time
- Closing the sale and starting the paperwork while the next lot is already being set up
What skills do auctioneers need?
Employers look for selling and negotiation, account and relationship management, backed by auction management software (iCollect, Auction Flex) fluency and strong client relationships and advisory.
Specialist skills
- Selling and negotiation
- Account and relationship management
Software and tools
- auction management software (iCollect, Auction Flex)
- digital cataloguing systems
- online bidding platforms
- CRM and customer database tools
- payment processing systems
General skills
- Client relationships and advisory
- Written communication
- Presenting and data storytelling
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
Is the job growing?
About 570 people work as auctioneers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 4.8% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become an auctioneer?
Here's the path most auctioneers take, step by step.
- 1Get inside the industry
Start as an assistant or cadet at a real estate agency, auction house or livestock saleyard. This is paid work, and it is the usual way in, because you learn the listings, the buyers and the pace of sale day before you ever hold the gavel.
- 2Learn the call
State real estate institutes and the Australian Auctioneers and Valuers Association run auctioneer training, from short courses through to diploma-level programs. Expect weeks of practice on dummy lots before you call a real sale in front of a crowd.
- 3Check the licensing rules in your state
Some states require auctioneers to be registered or licensed, and the requirements differ, so confirm what applies where you work with the state consumer affairs or licensing body. In several states the auctioneer must also work under a licensed agent.
- 4Pick a speciality
Property, livestock, art, cars and industrial equipment each have their own buyers, terminology and sale conventions. Auctioneers usually build a name in one of them rather than calling anything that comes along.
- 5Go out as a contractor
Most auctioneers eventually work for themselves, booked per sale by agencies, vendors and auction houses. That brings more work and more control over your diary, but no guaranteed income when listings dry up.
Ready to apply as an auctioneer?
Whether you're working toward becoming an auctioneer or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an auctioneer move to?
Moving into Business Broker typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $23,900 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Broker Auctioneer's valuation and sale process skills transfer to selling businesses, with business brokerage study and certification needed. | +$23,900 | 33% | reskill |
| Buyer's Agent Auctioneer's market knowledge and negotiation skills suit representing buyers, though a buyer's agent certificate and licensing are required. | +$21,300 | 33% | reskill |
| Real Estate Agent Auctioneer's property knowledge, bidding process and client handling transfer to listing and selling homes, with licensing study. | +$13,700 | 60% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as an auctioneer?
The typical auctioneer is 48 years old; 86% are men, 82% work full-time, and full-timers average 46 hours a week.
- 48
- Median age
- 14%
- Female share
- 82%
- Full-time
- +6h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an auctioneer?
An auction is a short performance with money attached: half an hour on the podium after weeks of preparation, valuing and driving between sales. The work suits people who stay calm in front of a crowd, can read hesitation in a stranger's face and handle a vendor's disappointment when the reserve is not met. Much of the week happens away from the microphone, talking to sellers, checking lots and learning what the market will pay.
What people like
- The call itself. Standing in front of a crowd and running the bidding is the part most auctioneers keep coming back for. The sale is decided in minutes and everyone in the room knows who ran it.
- Something different every week. One Saturday it is a three-bedroom house, the next a clearance of farm machinery or a collection of Australian art, so the job keeps adding knowledge rather than repeating one script.
- A result you can see on the day. A well-run auction clears, the vendor is relieved, and referrals follow from the people who watched it happen. The feedback loop is short.
- Room to build your own round. Experienced auctioneers can put together a roster of regular clients and work across several agencies instead of belonging to one employer.
What people find hard
- Saturdays and early starts. Most property auctions run on Saturday mornings, and livestock sales begin well before that, so the job rarely fits a standard week or a reliable weekend.
- Income that follows the market. Contract auctioneers are paid per sale, so a quiet listing season or a run of passed-in auctions shows up in earnings fairly quickly.
- Holding a seller's expectations. Vendors often arrive with a figure the market will not reach, and the auctioneer has to hold the reserve line in public while keeping the relationship intact afterwards.
- Voice strain and repetition. Calling for hours in a dusty saleyard or a cold hall dries out your voice, and after hundreds of lots the patter can start to feel like routine.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ auctioneers?
Wholesale Trade employs the largest share of auctioneers, followed by Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Wholesale Trade
- 2Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
- 3Retail Trade
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Year 12 or below | 41.7% | |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate III/IV | 18.7% | |
| Bachelor degree | 15.2% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 13.2% | |
| Postgraduate | 2.5% |
Will AI replace auctioneers?
This is a job with moderate exposure to AI, because the software around the podium has moved faster than the podium itself. Online bidding platforms, digital catalogues and automated bid logging now carry much of the registration and record keeping, and AI tools can draft lot descriptions from photos and consignment notes. The call, the read of the room and the reserve conversation with the vendor still belong to the auctioneer.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Calling the auction from the podiumVoice, pace and changes of direction come from reading the crowd, and buyers are bidding against a person they can see and hear.30%low
- Cataloguing lots and writing descriptionsAI tools draft lot descriptions from photos and consignment records, though the auctioneer still verifies provenance, condition and faults before publication.25%high
- Advising sellers on reserves and sale methodAutomated valuation models supply price ranges, but the reserve conversation turns on the vendor's circumstances and the auctioneer's read of local demand.25%moderate
- Taking bids from the floor, phone and onlineSimulcast platforms log and rank bids automatically, so the auctioneer spends more of the sale checking the screen matches what they are hearing.20%moderate
Common questions about becoming an auctioneer
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do auctioneers earn?
The median full-time auctioneer earns $64,500 per year before tax, and the spread around that figure is wide because many work per sale rather than on a salary. Contractor auctioneers take a fee for each auction they run, so a strong spring selling season pays very differently from a quiet winter.
How do you become an auctioneer?
Most people start inside the industry, working as an agency assistant or saleyard hand while they learn the call. Auctioneer courses are run by state real estate institutes and the Australian Auctioneers and Valuers Association, and some states also require registration or a licence before you can take bids.
Are auctioneers in demand?
Auctioneers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 4.8% over the decade to 2035 over the decade to 2035. The occupation itself is small, so most openings appear when experienced auctioneers retire or shift into agency work rather than through newly created roles.
Will AI replace auctioneers?
Exposure is moderate rather than high: software already handles online bidding, bidder registration and lot cataloguing, but the call itself is a live negotiation with a room, and buyers still bid against a person. What changes is the setup around the podium, with simulcast auctions, automatic bid logging and AI-drafted lot descriptions cutting the paperwork.
What can auctioneers move into?
Selling residential property is one common move, and it typically pays $13,700 more, because the property knowledge, bidding process and client handling carry straight across with licensing study. Buyer's agency and business brokerage use the same negotiation skills with more retraining. Many auctioneers also end up running their own auction business or contracting to several agencies, which is often where earnings grow.
What is the difference between an auctioneer and a real estate agent?
An agent wins the listing, runs the marketing campaign and negotiates with buyers, while an auctioneer is usually hired for the day to run the auction itself. Plenty of people hold both roles, since agency work is the standard route into auctioneering.
Related roles
- Real Estate Agent
- Buyer's Agent
- Business Broker
- Real Estate Agent
- Account Director
- Technology Sales Representative
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