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Plastics Fabricator salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a plastics fabricator is $68,600 per annum, before tax, up $14,700 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Where you work moves pay more than anything else: construction and mining sites pay above general manufacturing, and site, shift and height allowances sit on top of the base rate.
- Fabricators covered by an enterprise agreement usually earn more than those on the award, and overtime is common when a job has to be finished before a site crew can continue.
- A trade qualification and the ability to weld pipe to a tested standard both lift what you can ask for.
The median salary rose by $14,700 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 plastics fabricator
The largest typical pay rise is $19,200 a year, moving into Welder.
- Welder+$19,200/yr
- Metal Fabricator+$19,200/yr
- Plastics Technician+$6,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher plastics fabricator salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time plastics fabricator salary is $68,600; 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 Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general plastics fabricator experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Welder pays a typical $19,200 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."
Plastics Fabricator salary questions
How much do plastics fabricators earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a plastics fabricator is $68,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is plastics fabricator pay rising or falling?
The median plastics fabricator salary is up $14,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than plastics fabricator?
Welder pays a typical $19,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to plastics fabricator.
Related salaries
- Welder salary
- Metal Fabricator salary
- Plastics Technician salary
- Process Worker salary
- Blacksmith salary
- Foundry Moulder 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.