Carpenter salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a carpenter is $91,500 per annum, before tax, up $19,200 since 2018.
- Carpenters employed under the Building and Construction General On-site Award pick up penalty rates, site allowances and travel payments over the award minimum, so two jobs on the same hourly rate can pay quite differently.
- Subcontractors usually quote a price for the whole job, which can earn more but leaves you buying your own tools and covering insurance between jobs.
- Ask whether the rate is hourly or a fixed price, who supplies the tools, and how overtime and travel are paid.
The median salary rose by $19,200 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 carpenter
The largest typical pay rise is $103,600 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$103,600/yr
- Builder+$22,900/yr
- Construction Estimator+$7,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher carpenter salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time carpenter salary is $91,500; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Carpenters 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 carpenter experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $103,600 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."
Carpenter salary questions
How much do carpenters earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a carpenter is $91,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is carpenter pay rising or falling?
The median carpenter salary is up $19,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than carpenter?
Construction Manager pays a typical $103,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to carpenter.
Related salaries
- Cabinet Maker salary
- Site Supervisor salary
- Construction Estimator salary
- Construction Manager salary
- Builder salary
- Builder's Labourer 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.