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Importer and Exporter salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an importer and exporter is $90,000 per annum, before tax, up $19,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on whether you own the trading business or work for someone else, because owners take the margin on each shipment and that rises and falls with volumes and exchange rates.
- Salaried roles in wholesale, retail and freight are usually a base plus a bonus tied to sales or cost savings, and enterprise agreements set the floor in larger companies.
- Experience in a high-value category, such as machinery, food or medical goods, also affects what employers offer.
The median salary rose by $19,000 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 importer and exporter
The largest typical pay rise is $57,400 a year, moving into Logistics Manager.
- Logistics Manager+$57,400/yr
- Sales Manager+$49,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher importer and exporter salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time importer and exporter salary is $90,000; 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 Selling and negotiation and Supply chain planning tend to command a premium over general importer and exporter experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Logistics Manager pays a typical $57,400 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."
Importer and Exporter salary questions
How much do importer and exporters earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an importer and exporter is $90,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is importer and exporter pay rising or falling?
The median importer and exporter salary is up $19,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than importer and exporter?
Logistics Manager pays a typical $57,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to importer and exporter.
Related salaries
- Sales Manager salary
- Wholesaler salary
- Logistics Manager salary
- Import Export Clerk salary
- Shipping Clerk salary
- Freight Forwarder 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.