Fitter salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a fitter is $91,000 per annum, before tax, up $19,000 since 2018.
What fitters earn moves with where they work as much as with experience, with mine sites, remote processing plants and shutdown crews generally paying above general manufacturing. Shift rosters, overtime and site allowances add to base rates, and enterprise agreements set the terms with larger employers. Extra qualifications such as welding certification or hydraulics training also affect what you are offered.
Roles that pay more than fitter
The largest typical pay rise is $44,500 a year, moving into Metal Machinist.
- Metal Machinist+$44,500/yr
- Pressure Welder+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher fitter salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time fitter salary is $91,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Fitters 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 Installation and maintenance and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general fitter experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Metal Machinist pays a typical $44,500 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 salary questions
How much do fitters earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a fitter is $91,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is fitter pay rising or falling?
The median fitter salary is up $19,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than fitter?
Metal Machinist pays a typical $44,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to fitter.