Locksmith salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a locksmith is $78,000 per annum, before tax, up $16,200 since 2018.
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.
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.