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Circus Performer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a circus performer is $52,000 per annum, before tax, up $10,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the contract rather than the job title, so a long season with a major company or a cruise ship engagement is more secure than a run of one-off festival shows.
- Rates for festival, corporate and workshop work are set by the hirer, which means they can vary a lot between engagements.
- Rehearsal periods that are unpaid lower what a contract is worth across a full year.
The median salary rose by $10,800 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 circus performer
The largest typical pay rise is $20,800 a year, moving into Stunt Performer.
- Stunt Performer+$20,800/yr
- Stage Manager+$19,800/yr
- Dancer+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher circus performer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time circus performer salary is $52,000; 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 Event coordination and Performance and stagecraft tend to command a premium over general circus performer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Stunt Performer pays a typical $20,800 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."
Circus Performer salary questions
How much do circus performers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a circus performer is $52,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is circus performer pay rising or falling?
The median circus performer salary is up $10,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than circus performer?
Stunt Performer pays a typical $20,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to circus performer.
Related salaries
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.