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Bricklayer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a bricklayer is $120,500 per annum, before tax, up $25,600 since 2018.
Bricklaying pay depends on the employer's award or enterprise agreement, and site allowances, penalty rates and travel allowances can add to the base rate on large commercial jobs. Subcontractors are paid by output, usually per thousand bricks laid, so their earnings follow how fast the work runs and whether the weather holds. A licensed contractor quoting directly for residential work carries different costs from an employee on wages, and rates vary by state.
Roles that pay more than bricklayer
The largest typical pay rise is $74,600 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$74,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher bricklayer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time bricklayer salary is $120,500; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Bricklayers 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 Reading plans and specifications and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general bricklayer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $74,600 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."
Bricklayer salary questions
How much do bricklayers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a bricklayer is $120,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is bricklayer pay rising or falling?
The median bricklayer salary is up $25,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than bricklayer?
Construction Manager pays a typical $74,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to bricklayer.