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Hot Air Balloon Pilot salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a hot air balloon pilot is $88,400 per annum, before tax, up $18,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- How you are employed matters more here than in most flying jobs.
- A pilot who owns the balloon and the operator's certificate carries the business risk and keeps more of the flight revenue, while a line pilot is often paid per flight or per day, so a run of cancelled mornings shows up directly in the pay packet.
- Experience, the size of the operation, and whether you take on chief pilot or training duties all move the figure.
The median salary rose by $18,400 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.
How to negotiate a higher hot air balloon pilot salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time hot air balloon pilot salary is $88,400; 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 Plant and equipment operation and Operations management tend to command a premium over general hot air balloon pilot experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- 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."
Hot Air Balloon Pilot salary questions
How much do hot air balloon pilots earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a hot air balloon pilot is $88,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is hot air balloon pilot pay rising or falling?
The median hot air balloon pilot salary is up $18,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
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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.