Sous Chef salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a sous chef is $70,200 per annum, before tax, up $14,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Most full-time sous chefs are covered by the Restaurant Industry Award or the Hospitality Industry (General) Award, or by an enterprise agreement at a larger venue, and each sets different rates and loadings.
- Evening, weekend and public holiday penalties, plus the style and size of the venue, move take-home pay more than the job title does.
- Salaried roles in hotels and fine dining often bundle those penalties into a higher base rate, which is worth checking against the award before you accept.
The median salary rose by $14,600 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 sous chef
The largest typical pay rise is $3,800 a year, moving into Chef.
- Chef+$3,800/yr
- Pastry Chef+$3,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher sous chef salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time sous chef salary is $70,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Sous Chefs 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 Food preparation and cooking and Food safety and hygiene tend to command a premium over general sous chef experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Chef pays a typical $3,800 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."
Sous Chef salary questions
How much do sous chefs earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a sous chef is $70,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is sous chef pay rising or falling?
The median sous chef salary is up $14,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than sous chef?
Chef pays a typical $3,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to sous chef.
Related salaries
- Chef salary
- Pastry Chef salary
- Catering Manager salary
- Cook salary
- Bakery Assistant salary
- Chocolatier 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.