Captioner salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a captioner is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on who you work for and how you are engaged.
- Captioners employed by broadcasters or large access providers are usually covered by an award or enterprise agreement, while freelancers are often paid per finished minute of caption, so clear audio lifts the hourly equivalent and difficult recordings drag it down.
- Live captioning and specialist re-speaking work generally attract higher rates than pre-recorded transcription.
The median salary rose by $13,800 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 captioner
The largest typical pay rise is $37,700 a year, moving into Video Editor.
- Video Editor+$37,700/yr
- Journalist+$24,500/yr
- Proofreader+$1,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher captioner salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time captioner 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 Content creation and writing tend to command a premium over general captioner experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Video Editor pays a typical $37,700 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."
Captioner salary questions
How much do captioners earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a captioner is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is captioner pay rising or falling?
The median captioner salary is up $13,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than captioner?
Video Editor pays a typical $37,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to captioner.
Related salaries
- Proofreader salary
- Publishing Editor salary
- Journalist salary
- Video Editor salary
- Survey Interviewer salary
- Sports Commentator 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.