Home Tanker Driver Salary
Tanker Driver salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a tanker driver is $85,800 per annum, before tax, up $17,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on what you carry and who you work for.
- Dangerous goods and fuel work usually pays above general freight, and night, weekend and away-from-home rosters add loadings on top of a base rate, while enterprise agreements at large carriers set rates and penalties.
- A dangerous goods endorsement and experience with more demanding loads are the levers you control.
The median salary rose by $17,800 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 tanker driver
The largest typical pay rise is $29,800 a year, moving into Driving Instructor.
- Driving Instructor+$29,800/yr
- Truck Driver+$16,100/yr
- Bus Driver+$7,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher tanker driver salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time tanker driver salary is $85,800; 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 Driving and transport operations and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general tanker driver experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Driving Instructor pays a typical $29,800 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."
Tanker Driver salary questions
How much do tanker drivers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a tanker driver is $85,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is tanker driver pay rising or falling?
The median tanker driver salary is up $17,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than tanker driver?
Driving Instructor pays a typical $29,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to tanker driver.
Related salaries
- Tow Truck Driver salary
- Truck Driver salary
- Bus Driver salary
- Driving Instructor salary
- Taxi Driver salary
- Delivery Driver 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.