Sommelier salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a sommelier is $54,600 per annum, before tax, up $11,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Most sommeliers are paid under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award or a venue's enterprise agreement, so the venue has more influence on pay than the job title does.
- Hatted restaurants, five-star hotels and large wine groups tend to pay above the award, and a head sommelier running a big list and a team earns more than an assistant.
- Certifications such as WSET Level 3 or a Court of Master Sommeliers credential help at the top end of the market.
The median salary rose by $11,400 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 sommelier
The largest typical pay rise is $41,600 a year, moving into Account Director.
- Account Director+$41,600/yr
- Hotel Manager+$40,400/yr
- Sales Representative+$33,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher sommelier salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time sommelier salary is $54,600; 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 Selling and negotiation and Product management tend to command a premium over general sommelier experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Account Director pays a typical $41,600 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."
Sommelier salary questions
How much do sommeliers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a sommelier is $54,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is sommelier pay rising or falling?
The median sommelier salary is up $11,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than sommelier?
Account Director pays a typical $41,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to sommelier.
Related salaries
- Sales Representative salary
- Key Account Manager salary
- Account Director salary
- Restaurant Manager salary
- Hotel Manager salary
- Bartender 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.