Concreter salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a concreter is $114,900 per annum, before tax, up $24,500 since 2018.
How much a concreter takes home depends heavily on whether they are employed or subcontracting, since subcontractors quote the job and carry their own insurance, equipment and quiet weeks. Weekend, night and remote project work usually attracts loadings, and finishers who can run a pour and handle a ride-on trowel are generally paid above the labouring rate. In larger civil and commercial contractors, pay is set by an enterprise agreement rather than an individual deal.
Roles that pay more than concreter
The largest typical pay rise is $80,200 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$80,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher concreter salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time concreter salary is $114,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Concreters are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, 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 Building codes and standards and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general concreter experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $80,200 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."
Concreter salary questions
How much do concreters earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a concreter is $114,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is concreter pay rising or falling?
The median concreter salary is up $24,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than concreter?
Construction Manager pays a typical $80,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to concreter.