Home Fitter and Turner Salary
Fitter and Turner salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a fitter and turner is $85,800 per annum, before tax, up $18,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What you earn depends more on where you work than on the job title.
- General manufacturing workshops often pay close to the award rate plus overtime, while mining, oil and gas, heavy maintenance and some public utilities pay well above it through enterprise agreements, site allowances and shift loadings.
- Qualifications shift the figure too: a post-trade certificate or CNC programming skill moves you into a higher classification, and night shift and shutdown work add penalty rates on top of the base.
The median salary rose by $18,000 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 fitter and turner
The largest typical pay rise is $49,700 a year, moving into Metal Machinist.
- Metal Machinist+$49,700/yr
- Pressure Welder+$10,400/yr
- Fitter+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher fitter and turner salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time fitter and turner salary is $85,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Fitter and Turners 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 Reading plans and specifications and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general fitter and turner experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Metal Machinist pays a typical $49,700 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."
Fitter and Turner salary questions
How much do fitter and turners earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a fitter and turner is $85,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is fitter and turner pay rising or falling?
The median fitter and turner salary is up $18,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than fitter and turner?
Metal Machinist pays a typical $49,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to fitter and turner.
Related salaries
- Metal Machinist salary
- Fitter salary
- Pressure Welder salary
- Welder salary
- Metal Fabricator salary
- Metal Trades Assistant 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.