Locksmith salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a locksmith is $78,000 per annum, before tax, up $16,200 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay moves more with how you work than where you work: employees on an award or enterprise agreement earn a set rate with penalty rates for after-hours callouts, while self-employed locksmiths set their own prices and carry the costs of a van, tools and insurance.
- Automotive work, which needs key programming equipment and dealer-level access, and licensing rules in the states that regulate locksmithing both affect what you can charge.
- Sector matters as well, since locksmiths employed in public administration and safety work under different arrangements from those in small commercial firms.
The median salary rose by $16,200 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 locksmith
The largest typical pay rise is $16,500 a year, moving into Security Guard.
- Security Guard+$16,500/yr
- Security Technician+$2,600/yr
- Handyman+$2,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher locksmith salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time locksmith salary is $78,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Locksmiths 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 Installation and maintenance tend to command a premium over general locksmith experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Security Guard pays a typical $16,500 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."
Locksmith salary questions
How much do locksmiths earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a locksmith is $78,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is locksmith pay rising or falling?
The median locksmith salary is up $16,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than locksmith?
Security Guard pays a typical $16,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to locksmith.
Related salaries
- Security Technician salary
- Security Guard salary
- Handyman salary
- Pool Technician salary
- Landscaper salary
- Home Improvement Installer 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.