Plasterer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a plasterer is $95,700 per annum, before tax, up $20,000 since 2018.
How you're engaged changes the figure more than anything else: wages under the building and construction award on one hand, or a subcontract rate per square metre on the other, where output sets what you take home. Licensing affects it too, since plastering and rendering are regulated trades in some states and not in others. A plasterer with their own equipment and a steady run of builders can earn well above the on-wages rate, while quiet stretches between jobs pull the other way.
Roles that pay more than plasterer
The largest typical pay rise is $99,400 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$99,400/yr
- Concreter+$19,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher plasterer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time plasterer salary is $95,700; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Plasterers 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 Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general plasterer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $99,400 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."
Plasterer salary questions
How much do plasterers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a plasterer is $95,700 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is plasterer pay rising or falling?
The median plasterer salary is up $20,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than plasterer?
Construction Manager pays a typical $99,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to plasterer.