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Piano Tuner salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a piano tuner is $59,800 per annum, before tax, up $12,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Most tuners charge a fee per instrument, so weekly income depends on how many pianos they can service and how far they travel between them.
- Concert, recording and teaching studio work usually pays more per booking, while a round of regular domestic clients provides the steady base underneath it.
- Tuners employed directly by a retailer, school or university are usually on a salary or day rate instead.
The median salary rose by $12,600 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 piano tuner
The largest typical pay rise is $5,200 a year, moving into Musical Instrument Maker.
- Musical Instrument Maker+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher piano tuner salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time piano tuner salary is $59,800; 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 Selling and negotiation tend to command a premium over general piano tuner experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Musical Instrument Maker pays a typical $5,200 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."
Piano Tuner salary questions
How much do piano tuners earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a piano tuner is $59,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is piano tuner pay rising or falling?
The median piano tuner salary is up $12,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than piano tuner?
Musical Instrument Maker pays a typical $5,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to piano tuner.
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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.