Singer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a singer is $62,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,300 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Singers are usually paid per gig, session or contract, so annual earnings depend on how much work you pick up and how well it pays.
- Function and covers work often brings a set fee plus travel, studio session rates are set by the client or negotiated through the musicians' union, and royalties collected through APRA AMCOS add income when a recording gets played.
- Teaching, session backing vocals or an unrelated day job often fill the gaps between engagements.
The median salary rose by $13,300 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 singer
The largest typical pay rise is $68,500 a year, moving into Music Teacher.
- Music Teacher+$68,500/yr
- Tutor+$68,500/yr
- Musician+$29,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher singer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time singer salary is $62,400; 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 Performance and stagecraft and Content creation and writing tend to command a premium over general singer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Music Teacher pays a typical $68,500 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."
Singer salary questions
How much do singers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a singer is $62,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is singer pay rising or falling?
The median singer salary is up $13,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than singer?
Music Teacher pays a typical $68,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to singer.
Related salaries
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.