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Screenwriter salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a screenwriter is $75,400 per annum, before tax, up $16,100 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Screenwriters are usually paid per commission, per draft or as an option fee rather than a salary, so annual earnings depend on how many projects get funded and how long each one runs.
- Recommended rates published by the Australian Writers' Guild set benchmarks for members, and fees scale with the budget of the production and the writer's credits.
- Development work on a pitch or a spec script is often unpaid, which is why many writers hold other work alongside it.
The median salary rose by $16,100 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 screenwriter
The largest typical pay rise is $20,800 a year, moving into Film and Television Producer.
- Film and Television Producer+$20,800/yr
- Journalist+$14,100/yr
- Film and Television Director+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher screenwriter salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time screenwriter salary is $75,400; 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 Content creation and writing tend to command a premium over general screenwriter experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Film and Television Producer pays a typical $20,800 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."
Screenwriter salary questions
How much do screenwriters earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a screenwriter is $75,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is screenwriter pay rising or falling?
The median screenwriter salary is up $16,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than screenwriter?
Film and Television Producer pays a typical $20,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to screenwriter.
Related salaries
- Journalist salary
- Publishing Editor salary
- Author salary
- Film and Television Producer salary
- Film and Television Director salary
- Singer 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.