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Open Cut Examiner salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an open cut examiner is $166,400 per annum, before tax, up $34,300 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay is set by the mine's enterprise agreement or award, so the roster matters as much as the base rate: an even-time residential roster pays differently from a fly-in, fly-out swing that carries site and travel allowances.
- The commodity and the location move it too, with coal and iron ore operations generally at the top of the range.
- The statutory appointment usually comes with its own allowance, because holding the certificate is a condition of the position.
The median salary rose by $34,300 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.
How to negotiate a higher open cut examiner salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time open cut examiner salary is $166,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Open Cut Examiners 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 Field inspection and testing tend to command a premium over general open cut examiner experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- 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."
Open Cut Examiner salary questions
How much do open cut examiners earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an open cut examiner is $166,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is open cut examiner pay rising or falling?
The median open cut examiner salary is up $34,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
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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.