Stagehand salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a stagehand is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Stagehand pay is set by the entertainment industry award, and casual loadings plus penalty rates for nights, weekends and public holidays make up a large part of what you take home.
- Venue size matters as well: arena and touring crews working under enterprise agreements usually earn more than crews at small theatres or community events.
- Licences such as rigging or elevated work platform, and experience running a department, also lift rates.
The median salary rose by $13,800 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 stagehand
The largest typical pay rise is $23,400 a year, moving into Grip.
- Grip+$23,400/yr
- Pyrotechnician+$18,200/yr
- Audiovisual Technician+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher stagehand salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time stagehand salary is $65,000; 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 Operations management and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general stagehand experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Grip pays a typical $23,400 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."
Stagehand salary questions
How much do stagehands earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a stagehand is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is stagehand pay rising or falling?
The median stagehand salary is up $13,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than stagehand?
Grip pays a typical $23,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to stagehand.
Related salaries
- Lighting Technician salary
- Grip salary
- Audiovisual Technician salary
- Stage Manager salary
- Pyrotechnician salary
- Special Effects Technician 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.