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Ceramic Artist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a ceramic artist is $59,800 per annum, before tax, up $12,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Earnings depend heavily on how the work reaches a buyer.
- Selling direct, through markets, an online shop or an open studio, keeps the whole price with the maker, while gallery representation takes a commission out of each sale.
- Steady income usually comes from teaching, workshops or a repeat production line rather than one-off exhibition pieces.
The median salary rose by $12,600 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 ceramic artist
The largest typical pay rise is $10,400 a year, moving into Jewellery Designer.
- Jewellery Designer+$10,400/yr
- Engraver+$5,200/yr
- Visual Artist+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher ceramic artist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time ceramic artist salary is $59,800; 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 Craft and handmade production and Visual design tend to command a premium over general ceramic artist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Jewellery Designer pays a typical $10,400 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."
Ceramic Artist salary questions
How much do ceramic artists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a ceramic artist is $59,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is ceramic artist pay rising or falling?
The median ceramic artist salary is up $12,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than ceramic artist?
Jewellery Designer pays a typical $10,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to ceramic artist.
Related salaries
- Visual Artist salary
- Sculptor salary
- Jewellery Designer salary
- Engraver salary
- Jeweller salary
- Textile Designer 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.