Driller salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a driller is $151,200 per annum, before tax, up $32,000 since 2018.
- What a driller takes home moves with the roster and the site more than with the job title.
- Remote and offshore work, night shifts and site allowances lift total earnings, while exploration drilling tied to a commodity downturn can mean gaps between contracts.
- The rig you can run, from a small exploration unit to a large blast hole or offshore rig, also sets what a site is willing to pay.
The median salary rose by $32,000 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 driller
The largest typical pay rise is $26,200 a year, moving into Crane Operator.
- Crane Operator+$26,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher driller salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time driller salary is $151,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Drillers 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 Plant and equipment operation and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general driller experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Crane Operator pays a typical $26,200 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."
Driller salary questions
How much do drillers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a driller is $151,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is driller pay rising or falling?
The median driller salary is up $32,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than driller?
Crane Operator pays a typical $26,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to driller.
Related salaries
- Miner salary
- Earthmoving Plant Operator salary
- Truck Driver salary
- Shot Firer salary
- Crane Operator salary
- Driller's Offsider 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.