Tiler salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a tiler is $61,400 per annum, before tax, up $12,800 since 2018.
How a tiler is paid shapes the numbers more than the trade does: employees are covered by the building and construction award, with site allowances and overtime on top, while subcontractors quote per square metre and carry their own tools, insurance and super. The rate also depends on the tile and the job, because large-format porcelain and natural stone take longer to lay than a standard ceramic splashback, and a single-room repair carries more setting-up time per square metre than a whole floor. Licensing requirements in some states add a layer of cost and compliance for anyone working for themselves.
Roles that pay more than tiler
The largest typical pay rise is $53,500 a year, moving into Concreter.
- Concreter+$53,500/yr
- Site Supervisor+$24,400/yr
- Flooring Installer+$8,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher tiler salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time tiler salary is $61,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Tilers 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 Hand and power tool work and Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general tiler experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Concreter pays a typical $53,500 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."
Tiler salary questions
How much do tilers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a tiler is $61,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is tiler pay rising or falling?
The median tiler salary is up $12,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than tiler?
Concreter pays a typical $53,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to tiler.