Painter salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a painter is $71,700 per annum, before tax, up $14,800 since 2018.
- Pay depends heavily on whether you work for wages or as a subcontractor, since subbies quote per job and carry their own insurance, tools and materials, so a badly priced job comes straight out of their own pocket.
- Award-covered employees on commercial sites generally earn more than those doing domestic repaints, and spray application or decorative and heritage work can attract a premium.
- Where you live matters less than the sector you work in.
The median salary rose by $14,800 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 painter
The largest typical pay rise is $26,100 a year, moving into Vehicle Spray Painter.
- Vehicle Spray Painter+$26,100/yr
- Plasterer+$24,000/yr
- Carpenter+$19,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher painter salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time painter salary is $71,700; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Painters 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 Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general painter experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Vehicle Spray Painter pays a typical $26,100 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."
Painter salary questions
How much do painters earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a painter is $71,700 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is painter pay rising or falling?
The median painter salary is up $14,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than painter?
Vehicle Spray Painter pays a typical $26,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to painter.
Related salaries
- Vehicle Spray Painter salary
- Industrial Spray Painter salary
- Carpenter salary
- Site Supervisor salary
- Plasterer salary
- Builder's Labourer 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.