Home Scaffolder Salary
Scaffolder salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a scaffolder is $91,000 per annum, before tax, up $19,200 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What you earn moves with the licence classes you hold, because intermediate and advanced scaffolders can build more complex structures and attract higher rates.
- Mining, shutdown and large civil projects usually pay above general residential building, and overtime, site allowances and enterprise agreements lift the total further.
- The figure above covers full-time workers, so it sits well clear of what a casual on a small job takes home.
The median salary rose by $19,200 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 scaffolder
The largest typical pay rise is $86,400 a year, moving into Crane Operator.
- Crane Operator+$86,400/yr
- Concreter+$23,900/yr
- Rigger+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher scaffolder salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time scaffolder salary is $91,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Scaffolders 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 Worksite safety management and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general scaffolder experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Crane Operator pays a typical $86,400 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."
Scaffolder salary questions
How much do scaffolders earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a scaffolder is $91,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is scaffolder pay rising or falling?
The median scaffolder salary is up $19,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than scaffolder?
Crane Operator pays a typical $86,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to scaffolder.
Related salaries
- Rigger salary
- Crane Operator salary
- Site Supervisor salary
- Concreter salary
- Carpenter salary
- Builder's Labourer 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.