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Engineering Patternmaker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an engineering patternmaker is $82,200 per annum, before tax, up $17,200 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the manufacturing award or enterprise agreement covering the workshop, so shift loadings, overtime during a production run and site allowances all change the total.
- Patternmakers with strong CAD and CAM skills, or experience in defence, aerospace and mining supply chains, tend to sit higher, and because the trade is small, moving to a different employer or state can shift the figure as much as a promotion does.
The median salary rose by $17,200 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 engineering patternmaker
The largest typical pay rise is $53,300 a year, moving into Metal Machinist.
- Metal Machinist+$53,300/yr
- Fitter and Turner+$3,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher engineering patternmaker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time engineering patternmaker salary is $82,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Engineering Patternmakers 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 Craft and handmade production and Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general engineering patternmaker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Metal Machinist pays a typical $53,300 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."
Engineering Patternmaker salary questions
How much do engineering patternmakers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an engineering patternmaker is $82,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is engineering patternmaker pay rising or falling?
The median engineering patternmaker salary is up $17,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than engineering patternmaker?
Metal Machinist pays a typical $53,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to engineering patternmaker.
Related salaries
- Toolmaker salary
- Metal Machinist salary
- Foundry Moulder salary
- Fitter and Turner salary
- Precision Instrument Maker salary
- Wood Turner 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.