Distiller salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a distiller is $70,200 per annum, before tax, up $14,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends more on the size and profitability of the distillery than on the job title, so a head distiller at a large producer and one in a small craft room can be on quite different packages.
- Shift work at a large plant can add penalty rates, while craft distilleries with tight margins tend to pay less and offer fewer formal bonuses.
- Experience with barrel programs, recipe development or quality sign-off is usually what lifts a distiller into a higher band.
The median salary rose by $14,800 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 distiller
The largest typical pay rise is $15,400 a year, moving into Brewer.
- Brewer+$15,400/yr
- Food Quality Assurance Officer+$13,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher distiller salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time distiller salary is $70,200; 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 Operations management and Process improvement tend to command a premium over general distiller experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Brewer pays a typical $15,400 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."
Distiller salary questions
How much do distillers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a distiller is $70,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is distiller pay rising or falling?
The median distiller salary is up $14,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than distiller?
Brewer pays a typical $15,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to distiller.
Related salaries
- Brewer salary
- Cheesemaker salary
- Coffee Roaster salary
- Food Quality Assurance Officer salary
- Cellar Hand salary
- Winemaker 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.