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Border Force Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a border force officer is $96,800 per annum, before tax, up $20,500 since 2018.
- Pay is set by the Australian Border Force enterprise agreement, so your classification level and years of service drive most of the difference.
- Shift penalties, overtime and public holiday rates add to the base for officers on rotating rosters, and remote or overseas postings carry extra allowances.
- Moving up through the classifications is the main way base pay rises.
The median salary rose by $20,500 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 border force officer
The largest typical pay rise is $56,300 a year, moving into Policy and Planning Manager.
- Policy and Planning Manager+$56,300/yr
- Project Coordinator+$14,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher border force officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time border force officer salary is $96,800; 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 Regulatory compliance and Risk and internal controls tend to command a premium over general border force officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Policy and Planning Manager pays a typical $56,300 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."
Border Force Officer salary questions
How much do border force officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a border force officer is $96,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is border force officer pay rising or falling?
The median border force officer salary is up $20,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than border force officer?
Policy and Planning Manager pays a typical $56,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to border force officer.
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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.