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Excavator Operator salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an excavator operator is $98,800 per annum, before tax, up $21,000 since 2018.
- Pay is set by the enterprise agreement or award that covers the project, so two operators on similar machines can be on different rates depending on who employs them.
- Mining and remote civil work generally pays more than suburban residential work, and machine size, competency level and shift allowances all shift the figure.
- Owner-operators set their own rates but carry machine finance, fuel and maintenance.
The median salary rose by $21,000 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 excavator operator
The largest typical pay rise is $52,400 a year, moving into Miner.
- Miner+$52,400/yr
- Earthmoving Plant Operator+$4,200/yr
- Truck Driver+$3,100/yr
How to negotiate a higher excavator operator salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time excavator operator salary is $98,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Excavator Operators 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 Hand and power tool work and Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general excavator operator experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Miner pays a typical $52,400 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."
Excavator Operator salary questions
How much do excavator operators earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an excavator operator is $98,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is excavator operator pay rising or falling?
The median excavator operator salary is up $21,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than excavator operator?
Miner pays a typical $52,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to excavator operator.
Related salaries
- Earthmoving Plant Operator salary
- Truck Driver salary
- Machine Operator salary
- Miner salary
- Site Supervisor salary
- Civil Construction Labourer 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.