Home Automotive Dismantler Salary
Automotive Dismantler salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an automotive dismantler is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,700 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay usually follows the award or the yard's enterprise agreement, so a large auto recycler and a small suburban wrecking yard can pay quite different rates for the same work.
- Yards with a retail parts counter sometimes add a bonus or commission on sales, and overtime is common when stock builds up.
- Hold a forklift licence or a high risk work licence for plant and you move into a higher classification.
The median salary rose by $13,700 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 automotive dismantler
The largest typical pay rise is $31,100 a year, moving into Panel Beater.
- Panel Beater+$31,100/yr
- Motor Mechanic+$19,300/yr
- Parts Interpreter+$3,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher automotive dismantler salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time automotive dismantler salary is $65,000; 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 Hand and power tool work and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general automotive dismantler experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Panel Beater pays a typical $31,100 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."
Automotive Dismantler salary questions
How much do automotive dismantlers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an automotive dismantler is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is automotive dismantler pay rising or falling?
The median automotive dismantler salary is up $13,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than automotive dismantler?
Panel Beater pays a typical $31,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to automotive dismantler.
Related salaries
- Parts Interpreter salary
- Small Engine Mechanic salary
- Motor Mechanic salary
- Panel Beater salary
- Exhaust Fitter salary
- Mechanic's 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.