Tiler salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a tiler is $61,400 per annum, before tax, up $12,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- 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.
The median salary rose by $12,800 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 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.
Related salaries
- Roofer salary
- Flooring Installer salary
- Glazier salary
- Concreter salary
- Site Supervisor 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.