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Picture Framer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a picture framer is $57,200 per annum, before tax, up $12,000 since 2018.
What a framer earns depends on the business, since small retail studios tend to pay less than workshops supplying galleries, museums or corporate clients. Framers who run their own workshop set their own prices and keep the margin on each job, which is where earnings can grow most. Additional training in conservation framing can support higher rates for gallery and museum work.
Roles that pay more than picture framer
The largest typical pay rise is $7,800 a year, moving into Leather Goods Maker.
- Leather Goods Maker+$7,800/yr
- Engraver+$7,800/yr
- Jeweller+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher picture framer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time picture framer salary is $57,200; 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 Quoting and estimating tend to command a premium over general picture framer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Leather Goods Maker pays a typical $7,800 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."
Picture Framer salary questions
How much do picture framers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a picture framer is $57,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is picture framer pay rising or falling?
The median picture framer salary is up $12,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than picture framer?
Leather Goods Maker pays a typical $7,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to picture framer.