Home Harness Racing Driver Salary
Harness Racing Driver salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a harness racing driver is $57,200 per annum, before tax, up $12,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Drivers are usually paid a fee for each drive plus a share of any prizemoney the horse wins, so a week's income depends on how many drives you pick up and how those horses go.
- State bodies and clubs set the fee scale and the prizemoney split, and leading drivers add sponsorship and outside drives on top.
- Taking out a trainer's licence so you can prepare and drive your own horses is the usual way drivers build steadier earnings.
The median salary rose by $12,000 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 harness racing driver
The largest typical pay rise is $46,800 a year, moving into Racing Steward.
- Racing Steward+$46,800/yr
- Racing Handicapper+$44,200/yr
- Horse Trainer+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher harness racing driver salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time harness racing driver salary is $57,200; 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 Driving and transport operations and Animal care and handling tend to command a premium over general harness racing driver experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Racing Steward pays a typical $46,800 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."
Harness Racing Driver salary questions
How much do harness racing drivers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a harness racing driver is $57,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is harness racing driver pay rising or falling?
The median harness racing driver salary is up $12,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than harness racing driver?
Racing Steward pays a typical $46,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to harness racing driver.
Related salaries
- Horse Trainer salary
- Racing Steward salary
- Racing Handicapper salary
- Track Rider salary
- Stablehand salary
- Jockey 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.