Gunsmith salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a gunsmith is $70,200 per annum, before tax, up $14,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on where you work and how much of the work is your own.
- Gunsmiths employed in a retail gun shop or a repair workshop are usually covered by an award or enterprise agreement, while those who run their own workshop set their own prices and carry the cost of tooling, insurance and dealer fees.
- Government workshop roles often come with structured pay and conditions, and a gunsmith with a strong custom or restoration reputation can charge more for the time a job takes.
The median salary rose by $14,600 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 gunsmith
The largest typical pay rise is $65,300 a year, moving into Metal Machinist.
- Metal Machinist+$65,300/yr
- Engineering Patternmaker+$12,000/yr
- Saw Doctor+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher gunsmith salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time gunsmith salary is $70,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Gunsmiths 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 Craft and handmade production tend to command a premium over general gunsmith experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Metal Machinist pays a typical $65,300 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."
Gunsmith salary questions
How much do gunsmiths earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a gunsmith is $70,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is gunsmith pay rising or falling?
The median gunsmith salary is up $14,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than gunsmith?
Metal Machinist pays a typical $65,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to gunsmith.
Related salaries
- Metal Machinist salary
- Toolmaker salary
- Saw Doctor salary
- Engineering Patternmaker salary
- Blacksmith 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.