Engraver salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an engraver is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on whether you work for an employer or run your own workshop, because self-employed engravers set their own rates and carry the cost of machines and materials.
- In a job, earnings follow the award or enterprise agreement covering the workplace and rise as you add skills, particularly computer-controlled laser work.
- Specialising in a material or a market, such as industrial part marking or bespoke hand engraving, is the usual way to move above the award.
The median salary rose by $13,600 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 engraver
The largest typical pay rise is $5,200 a year, moving into Jewellery Designer.
- Jewellery Designer+$5,200/yr
- Sign Writer+$3,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher engraver salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time engraver salary is $65,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Engravers 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 Visual design tend to command a premium over general engraver experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Jewellery Designer pays a typical $5,200 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."
Engraver salary questions
How much do engravers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an engraver is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is engraver pay rising or falling?
The median engraver salary is up $13,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than engraver?
Jewellery Designer pays a typical $5,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to engraver.
Related salaries
- Sign Writer salary
- Jeweller salary
- Jewellery Designer salary
- Metal Polisher salary
- Wood Turner salary
- Ceramic Artist 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.