Home Full Stack Developer Salary
Full Stack Developer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a full stack developer is $128,800 per annum, before tax, up $27,100 since 2018.
- Full stack developers in product companies and financial services tend to earn more than those in small agencies, where budgets are tighter and the work is often client-driven.
- Contract and freelance day rates look high because they have to cover annual leave, insurance and the gaps between contracts.
- Deepening a specialism, such as cloud infrastructure or security, or moving into a senior or lead role, moves pay further than years of service alone.
The median salary rose by $27,100 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 full stack developer
The largest typical pay rise is $3,100 a year, moving into Software Engineer.
- Software Engineer+$3,100/yr
- DevOps Engineer+$3,100/yr
How to negotiate a higher full stack developer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time full stack developer salary is $128,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Programming and software development and Web and application development tend to command a premium over general full stack developer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Software Engineer pays a typical $3,100 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."
Full Stack Developer salary questions
How much do full stack developers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a full stack developer is $128,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is full stack developer pay rising or falling?
The median full stack developer salary is up $27,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than full stack developer?
Software Engineer pays a typical $3,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to full stack developer.
Related salaries
- Software Engineer salary
- DevOps Engineer salary
- Front End Developer salary
- Back End Developer salary
- Mobile App Developer salary
- Web Designer 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.