Botanist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a botanist is $96,200 per annum, before tax, up $20,300 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the sector more than the job title.
- Government agencies and universities pay on fixed classification scales, so your level depends on qualifications and years of service, while environmental consultancies set their own ranges and often pay a premium for botanists accredited to carry out statutory vegetation assessments.
- Short-term research contracts can leave gaps between roles that a permanent agency or consultancy position avoids.
The median salary rose by $20,300 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 botanist
The largest typical pay rise is $5,400 a year, moving into Environmental Scientist.
- Environmental Scientist+$5,400/yr
- Ecologist+$5,400/yr
- Entomologist+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher botanist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time botanist salary is $96,200; 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 Field research and sampling and Laboratory analysis tend to command a premium over general botanist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Environmental Scientist pays a typical $5,400 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."
Botanist salary questions
How much do botanists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a botanist is $96,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is botanist pay rising or falling?
The median botanist salary is up $20,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than botanist?
Environmental Scientist pays a typical $5,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to botanist.
Related salaries
- Biologist salary
- Environmental Scientist salary
- Ecologist salary
- Entomologist salary
- Soil Scientist salary
- Geologist 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.