Plumber salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a plumber is $103,500 per annum, before tax, up $21,900 since 2018.
- Most plumbers are paid an hourly rate under an award or enterprise agreement, with penalty rates for after-hours and weekend callouts and extra when you take your turn on call.
- A gasfitting or drainlaying endorsement lets you take on work that pays more, and subcontracting changes the maths because your quoted price has to cover materials, travel and the gaps between jobs.
- When you take on a role, ask how callouts are shared around the team and whether the time is paid from when you leave home or from when you reach the site.
The median salary rose by $21,900 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 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.
Related salaries
- Air Conditioning Technician salary
- Fire Protection Technician salary
- Plumbing Inspector salary
- Construction Manager salary
- Gasfitter salary
- Plumber's Assistant salary
Pay advice
- 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.
- 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.