Home Electrical Drafter Salary
Electrical Drafter salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an electrical drafter is $88,400 per annum, before tax, up $18,700 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What you earn depends on the sector and how the drafting work is billed.
- Drafters in utilities and government often sit under an enterprise agreement with defined increments, while consultancy and contract roles are negotiated individually.
- Fluency in a particular package, such as Revit MEP or AutoCAD Electrical, is often what moves you into a higher band.
The median salary rose by $18,700 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 electrical drafter
The largest typical pay rise is $55,200 a year, moving into Mechatronics Engineer.
- Mechatronics Engineer+$55,200/yr
- Electrical Engineer+$44,400/yr
- Electrical Engineering Technician+$3,100/yr
How to negotiate a higher electrical drafter salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time electrical drafter salary is $88,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Electrical Drafters 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 CAD and technical drawing and Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general electrical drafter experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Mechatronics Engineer pays a typical $55,200 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."
Electrical Drafter salary questions
How much do electrical drafters earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an electrical drafter is $88,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is electrical drafter pay rising or falling?
The median electrical drafter salary is up $18,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than electrical drafter?
Mechatronics Engineer pays a typical $55,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to electrical drafter.
Related salaries
- Electrical Engineer salary
- Electrical Engineering Technician salary
- Mechatronics Engineer salary
- Civil Drafter salary
- Mechanical Drafter salary
- Architectural Drafter 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.