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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.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- 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.
The median salary rose by $13,300 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 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.
Related salaries
- Film and Television Producer salary
- Production Coordinator salary
- Camera Operator salary
- Video Editor salary
- Event Coordinator salary
- Administration Officer 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.