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Production Assistant salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a production assistant is $62,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,300 since 2018.
Most production assistants are paid a day rate rather than an annual salary, so earnings depend on how many days you work across the year. Rates rise with the size of the production and your position in the crew, and drama and television work under union or enterprise agreements usually carries overtime and penalties that corporate shoots don't. Gaps between contracts are the main reason annual earnings swing so much from one assistant to the next.
Roles that pay more than production assistant
The largest typical pay rise is $40,300 a year, moving into Video Editor.
- Video Editor+$40,300/yr
- Film and Television Producer+$33,800/yr
- Camera Operator+$33,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher production assistant salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time production assistant salary is $62,400; 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 Project management and Operations management tend to command a premium over general production assistant experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Video Editor pays a typical $40,300 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."
Production Assistant salary questions
How much do production assistants earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a production assistant is $62,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is production assistant pay rising or falling?
The median production assistant salary is up $13,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than production assistant?
Video Editor pays a typical $40,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to production assistant.