Cooper salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a cooper is $67,600 per annum, before tax, up $14,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What a cooper earns depends heavily on the employer: a full-time position in a winery or distillery cooperage usually comes with an enterprise agreement and penalty rates, while independent barrel repair work is often charged by the job.
- Skill matters too, since coopers who can raise and fire large casks or work on premium barrels are harder to replace.
The median salary rose by $14,400 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 cooper
The largest typical pay rise is $5,200 a year, moving into Joiner.
- Joiner+$5,200/yr
- Cabinet Maker+$5,200/yr
- Wood Machinist+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher cooper salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time cooper salary is $67,600; 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 Hand and power tool work and Craft and handmade production tend to command a premium over general cooper experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Joiner pays a typical $5,200 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."
Cooper salary questions
How much do coopers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a cooper is $67,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is cooper pay rising or falling?
The median cooper salary is up $14,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than cooper?
Joiner pays a typical $5,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to cooper.
Related salaries
- Joiner salary
- Cabinet Maker salary
- Wood Machinist salary
- Wood Turner salary
- Furniture Finisher salary
- Blacksmith 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.