Home Steel Erector Salary
Steel Erector salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a steel erector is $88,400 per annum, before tax, up $18,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Steel erectors are usually paid under the Building and Construction General On-site Award or a project enterprise agreement, so base rates, site allowances and overtime rules differ from one job to the next.
- A rigging or welding qualification and experience on structural work are what lift you into the higher paid classifications.
- Working away from home on a regional or remote project usually brings an allowance on top, while casual and labour hire arrangements pay a loading in exchange for less certainty.
The median salary rose by $18,600 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 steel erector
The largest typical pay rise is $5,200 a year, moving into Rigger.
- Rigger+$5,200/yr
- Scaffolder+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher steel erector salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time steel erector salary is $88,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Steel Erectors 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 Reading plans and specifications and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general steel erector experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Rigger pays a typical $5,200 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."
Steel Erector salary questions
How much do steel erectors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a steel erector is $88,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is steel erector pay rising or falling?
The median steel erector salary is up $18,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than steel erector?
Rigger pays a typical $5,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to steel erector.
Related salaries
- Steel Fixer salary
- Metal Fabricator salary
- Rigger salary
- Shed Builder salary
- Scaffolder salary
- Builder's Labourer 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.