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Blacksmith salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a blacksmith is $72,800 per annum, before tax, up $15,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Award or enterprise agreement rates set the base for blacksmiths employed in a workshop, and overtime or penalty rates apply when a job runs past the usual day.
- Self-employed blacksmiths earn from commissions, so income moves with the type of work, the materials bill and how accurately each piece was quoted.
- Specialising in heritage restoration or architectural ironwork changes both what you can charge and how long each piece takes.
The median salary rose by $15,000 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 blacksmith
The largest typical pay rise is $62,700 a year, moving into Metal Machinist.
- Metal Machinist+$62,700/yr
- Fitter+$18,200/yr
- Metal Fabricator+$15,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher blacksmith salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time blacksmith salary is $72,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Blacksmiths 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 Fabrication and finishing tend to command a premium over general blacksmith experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Metal Machinist pays a typical $62,700 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."
Blacksmith salary questions
How much do blacksmiths earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a blacksmith is $72,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is blacksmith pay rising or falling?
The median blacksmith salary is up $15,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than blacksmith?
Metal Machinist pays a typical $62,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to blacksmith.
Related salaries
- Metal Fabricator salary
- Welder salary
- Foundry Moulder salary
- Metal Machinist salary
- Fitter salary
- Metal 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.