Home Mining Labourer Salary
Mining Labourer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a mining labourer is $96,200 per annum, before tax, up $19,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on the roster and the site: remote operations generally pay more than mine sites near a town, and underground work attracts a loading on top of surface rates.
- Enterprise agreements set base rates at the large miners, while labour hire and contract work can add site allowances, overtime and completion bonuses.
- Casual and short-term contract roles pay more per hour but give you no paid leave.
The median salary rose by $19,800 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 mining labourer
The largest typical pay rise is $55,000 a year, moving into Miner.
- Miner+$55,000/yr
- Conveyor Belt Splicer+$23,400/yr
- Crusher Operator+$23,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher mining labourer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time mining labourer salary is $96,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Mining Labourers are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, 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 Worksite safety management and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general mining labourer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Miner pays a typical $55,000 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."
Mining Labourer salary questions
How much do mining labourers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a mining labourer is $96,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is mining labourer pay rising or falling?
The median mining labourer salary is up $19,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than mining labourer?
Miner pays a typical $55,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to mining labourer.
Related salaries
- Driller's Offsider salary
- Conveyor Belt Splicer salary
- Crusher Operator salary
- Tunneller salary
- Miner salary
- Builder's Labourer salary
Pay advice
- 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.
- 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.