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Pyrotechnician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a pyrotechnician is $83,200 per annum, before tax, up $17,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay in this job is usually calculated per show or per day rather than by the hour, so annual earnings depend on how many displays you pick up in a season and how large they are.
- Leading a crew and holding the higher explosives licences lifts the day rate, and film and television effects work pays differently from council and community displays.
- Night, weekend and public holiday work is the norm, so penalty rates, travel allowances and away-from-home arrangements can make a noticeable difference.
The median salary rose by $17,400 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 pyrotechnician
The largest typical pay rise is $5,200 a year, moving into Special Effects Technician.
- Special Effects Technician+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher pyrotechnician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time pyrotechnician salary is $83,200; 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 Worksite safety management and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general pyrotechnician experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Special Effects Technician pays a typical $5,200 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."
Pyrotechnician salary questions
How much do pyrotechnicians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a pyrotechnician is $83,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is pyrotechnician pay rising or falling?
The median pyrotechnician salary is up $17,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than pyrotechnician?
Special Effects Technician pays a typical $5,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to pyrotechnician.
Related salaries
- Lighting Technician salary
- Special Effects Technician salary
- Audiovisual Technician salary
- Stagehand salary
- Grip salary
- Stunt Performer 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.