Home › Choreographer › Salary

Choreographer salary in Australia

The median full-time salary for a choreographer is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,500 since 2018.

• Who employs you shapes the money: a salaried position with a dance company or a school is steadier than freelance contracts, and screen or commercial work often pays better per day than a small stage production.
• Freelancers quote per project or per rehearsal week, so annual income depends on how much work they book.
• Teaching, movement direction and workshop programs are common ways to bridge the gaps between contracts.

Roles that pay more than choreographer

The largest typical pay rise is $54,600 a year, moving into Artistic Director.

• Artistic Director+$54,600/yr
• Theatre Director+$20,800/yr

How to negotiate a higher choreographer salary

• Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time choreographer 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 Teaching and instruction and Project management tend to command a premium over general choreographer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
• Bring a real alternative to the table. Artistic Director pays a typical $54,600 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."

Choreographer salary questions

Related salaries

• Theatre Director salary
• Artistic Director salary
• Community Arts Worker salary
• Dancer salary
• Music Director salary
• Stage Manager salary