Drainer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a drainer is $80,600 per annum, before tax, up $17,100 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Drainers are usually paid under the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award or a project enterprise agreement, which sets the base rate for the qualification level held.
- Pay moves with the sector, since major civil and infrastructure projects generally pay more than residential drainage work, and overtime plus allowances for confined space or night work add to the total.
- Holding your registration and a current licence matters as well, because it opens up the jobs that require a qualified drainer on site.
The median salary rose by $17,100 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 drainer
The largest typical pay rise is $22,900 a year, moving into Plumber.
- Plumber+$22,900/yr
- Mechanical Services Plumber+$15,600/yr
- Roof Plumber+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher drainer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time drainer salary is $80,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Drainers are on the national skills shortage list, 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 Reading plans and specifications and Installation and maintenance tend to command a premium over general drainer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Plumber pays a typical $22,900 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."
Drainer salary questions
How much do drainers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a drainer is $80,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is drainer pay rising or falling?
The median drainer salary is up $17,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than drainer?
Plumber pays a typical $22,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to drainer.
Related salaries
- Mechanical Services Plumber salary
- Plumber salary
- Roof Plumber salary
- Fire Protection Plumber salary
- Gasfitter salary
- Plumber's Assistant 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.