Stevedore salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a stevedore is $101,400 per annum, before tax, up $20,900 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Most stevedores are covered by enterprise agreements that set base rates and the loadings attached to shifts, so what you take home depends heavily on the roster you work.
- Night shifts, weekends and public holidays pay more than ordinary hours, and people who work them regularly earn above the middle of the range.
- Casual and labour hire work often carries a loading, but with less certainty about how many shifts you get in a month.
The median salary rose by $20,900 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 stevedore
The largest typical pay rise is $76,000 a year, moving into Crane Operator.
- Crane Operator+$76,000/yr
- Bulk Materials Handling Operator+$4,700/yr
- Truck Driver+$500/yr
How to negotiate a higher stevedore salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time stevedore salary is $101,400; 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 Plant and equipment operation and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general stevedore experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Crane Operator pays a typical $76,000 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."
Stevedore salary questions
How much do stevedores earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a stevedore is $101,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is stevedore pay rising or falling?
The median stevedore salary is up $20,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than stevedore?
Crane Operator pays a typical $76,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to stevedore.
Related salaries
- Crane Operator salary
- Truck Driver salary
- Rigger salary
- Bulk Materials Handling Operator salary
- Deckhand salary
- Forklift Operator 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.