Plumber salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a plumber is $103,500 per annum, before tax, up $21,900 since 2018.
Pay depends heavily on where you work and how you are engaged: an award or enterprise agreement sets the base in most jobs, while emergency and after-hours callouts attract penalty rates that lift a week's earnings. Plumbers who hold extra endorsements such as gasfitting or backflow can charge for a wider range of jobs, and those who run their own business set their own rates but carry the costs that come with it.
Roles that pay more than plumber
The largest typical pay rise is $91,600 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$91,600/yr
- Air Conditioning Technician+$5,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher plumber salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time plumber salary is $103,500; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Plumbers 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 plumber experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $91,600 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."
Plumber salary questions
How much do plumbers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a plumber is $103,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is plumber pay rising or falling?
The median plumber salary is up $21,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than plumber?
Construction Manager pays a typical $91,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to plumber.