Chauffeur salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a chauffeur is $57,200 per annum, before tax, up $12,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Employee chauffeurs are usually paid by the hour under the passenger vehicle transport award, which sets penalty rates for nights, weekends and public holidays.
- Owner-drivers are paid differently, through a share of the fare or a company split, and they carry the cost of the car, fuel, insurance and cleaning before they take anything home.
- Corporate account work tends to pay more steadily than one-off private bookings.
The median salary rose by $12,000 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 chauffeur
The largest typical pay rise is $44,700 a year, moving into Truck Driver.
- Truck Driver+$44,700/yr
- Bus Driver+$36,100/yr
- Delivery Driver+$10,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher chauffeur salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time chauffeur salary is $57,200; 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 Driving and transport operations and Operations management tend to command a premium over general chauffeur experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Truck Driver pays a typical $44,700 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."
Chauffeur salary questions
How much do chauffeurs earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a chauffeur is $57,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is chauffeur pay rising or falling?
The median chauffeur salary is up $12,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than chauffeur?
Truck Driver pays a typical $44,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to chauffeur.
Related salaries
- Truck Driver salary
- Bus Driver salary
- Delivery Driver salary
- Taxi Driver salary
- Rideshare Driver salary
- Postal Delivery Officer 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.