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Music Therapist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a music therapist is $80,600 per annum, before tax, up $17,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Where you work shifts the figure more than experience does early on, because public hospital and health service roles sit under an award with defined clinical levels, while aged care, disability and community organisations set their own bands.
- Part-time work is common, so the annual figure is often for fewer than full-time hours, and private practice or NDIS fee-for-service work can pay well per session but brings gaps between referrals.
- Clinical specialisation, supervision responsibilities and years since registration are what move you up within a pay band.
The median salary rose by $17,000 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 music therapist
The largest typical pay rise is $18,900 a year, moving into Occupational Therapist.
- Occupational Therapist+$18,900/yr
- Play Therapist+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher music therapist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time music therapist salary is $80,600; 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 Patient care and support and Clinical assessment and treatment tend to command a premium over general music therapist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Occupational Therapist pays a typical $18,900 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."
Music Therapist salary questions
How much do music therapists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a music therapist is $80,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is music therapist pay rising or falling?
The median music therapist salary is up $17,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than music therapist?
Occupational Therapist pays a typical $18,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to music therapist.
Related salaries
- Occupational Therapist salary
- Play Therapist salary
- Art Therapist salary
- Diversional Therapist salary
- Aged Care Worker salary
- Disability Support Worker 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.