Home Furniture Finisher Salary
Furniture Finisher salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a furniture finisher is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,500 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What you earn depends heavily on the employer and the kind of work: high-end restoration and custom furniture shops generally pay more than volume production lines.
- Most finishers are covered by a manufacturing award, where shift loadings and overtime add to the base rate, and someone who can run a spray booth or match a difficult colour is worth more to a workshop.
- Running your own refinishing business is another route, though income then depends on the work you win.
The median salary rose by $13,500 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 furniture finisher
The largest typical pay rise is $26,500 a year, moving into Carpenter.
- Carpenter+$26,500/yr
- Cabinet Maker+$7,800/yr
- Industrial Spray Painter+$6,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher furniture finisher salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time furniture finisher salary is $65,000; 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 Craft and handmade production and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general furniture finisher experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Carpenter pays a typical $26,500 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."
Furniture Finisher salary questions
How much do furniture finishers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a furniture finisher is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is furniture finisher pay rising or falling?
The median furniture finisher salary is up $13,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than furniture finisher?
Carpenter pays a typical $26,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to furniture finisher.
Related salaries
- Cabinet Maker salary
- Industrial Spray Painter salary
- Carpenter salary
- Wood Machinist salary
- Metal Polisher salary
- Wood Turner 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.