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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.
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.
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.