Home Sewing Machine Mechanic Salary
Sewing Machine Mechanic salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a sewing machine mechanic is $59,800 per annum, before tax, up $12,500 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay usually follows the manufacturing and related industries award, so a maintenance role inside a factory or a formal apprenticeship tends to set a firmer base than a small repair shop.
- Penalty rates and overtime matter where you are on call for breakdowns, and a specialisation in computerised industrial machines or an added electrical qualification can lift the rate.
- In a small workshop, earnings move with how busy the repair queue is.
The median salary rose by $12,500 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 sewing machine mechanic
The largest typical pay rise is $75,700 a year, moving into Metal Machinist.
- Metal Machinist+$75,700/yr
- Fitter+$31,200/yr
- Fitter and Turner+$26,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher sewing machine mechanic salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time sewing machine mechanic salary is $59,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Sewing Machine Mechanics 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 Installation and maintenance and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general sewing machine mechanic experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Metal Machinist pays a typical $75,700 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."
Sewing Machine Mechanic salary questions
How much do sewing machine mechanics earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a sewing machine mechanic is $59,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is sewing machine mechanic pay rising or falling?
The median sewing machine mechanic salary is up $12,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than sewing machine mechanic?
Metal Machinist pays a typical $75,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to sewing machine mechanic.
Related salaries
- Saw Doctor salary
- Fitter salary
- Fitter and Turner salary
- Metal Machinist salary
- Precision Instrument Maker salary
- Metal Trades Assistant 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.