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Musical Instrument Maker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a musical instrument maker is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on whether you are employed in a workshop or selling your own instruments: manufacturing and retail roles sit under an award or enterprise agreement, while self-employed makers set a price per commission and carry the cost of materials until the instrument sells.
- Repair and restoration work usually brings steadier income than bespoke builds, which can take months to pay.
- Specialising in a niche, such as violin family instruments or early music, can lift what clients are willing to pay.
The median salary rose by $13,800 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 musical instrument maker
The largest typical pay rise is $23,400 a year, moving into Special Effects Technician.
- Special Effects Technician+$23,400/yr
- Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician+$7,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher musical instrument maker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time musical instrument maker salary is $65,000; 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 Craft and handmade production and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general musical instrument maker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Special Effects Technician pays a typical $23,400 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."
Musical Instrument Maker salary questions
How much do musical instrument makers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a musical instrument maker is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is musical instrument maker pay rising or falling?
The median musical instrument maker salary is up $13,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than musical instrument maker?
Special Effects Technician pays a typical $23,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to musical instrument maker.
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- Special Effects Technician salary
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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.