Shoemaker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a shoemaker is $59,800 per annum, before tax, up $12,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What a shoemaker takes home depends more on the setting than on the craft: employees in manufacturing, retail or a repair business work under the relevant award or enterprise agreement, while those running their own workshop set their prices and carry the cost of leather, soles and machinery.
- Bespoke and orthopaedic fitting is quoted per pair, and repair work is priced job by job, so income follows the mix of the two you take on.
The median salary rose by $12,600 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 shoemaker
The largest typical pay rise is $19,600 a year, moving into Upholsterer.
- Upholsterer+$19,600/yr
- Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician+$13,000/yr
- Leather Goods Maker+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher shoemaker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time shoemaker salary is $59,800; 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 Craft and handmade production and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general shoemaker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Upholsterer pays a typical $19,600 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."
Shoemaker salary questions
How much do shoemakers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a shoemaker is $59,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is shoemaker pay rising or falling?
The median shoemaker salary is up $12,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than shoemaker?
Upholsterer pays a typical $19,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to shoemaker.
Related salaries
- Leather Goods Maker salary
- Upholsterer salary
- Canvas Goods Maker salary
- Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician salary
- Sewing Machinist salary
- Gunsmith 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.