Toolmaker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a toolmaker is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,500 since 2018.
Pay follows the trade qualification and the precision of the work, so toolmakers who program CNC machines, build micro-tooling or hold specialist die and mould skills tend to earn more than those doing routine maintenance. Shift work, overtime and enterprise agreements in larger manufacturing plants lift the total, and with average full-time hours around 42 a week, some of that difference shows up as penalties rather than base rate. A small general engineering shop and a tool room supplying medical or aerospace customers also pay on different scales.
Roles that pay more than toolmaker
The largest typical pay rise is $70,500 a year, moving into Metal Machinist.
- Metal Machinist+$70,500/yr
- Fitter and Turner+$20,800/yr
- Engineering Patternmaker+$17,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher toolmaker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time toolmaker salary is $65,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Toolmakers 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 CAD and technical drawing tend to command a premium over general toolmaker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Metal Machinist pays a typical $70,500 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."
Toolmaker salary questions
How much do toolmakers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a toolmaker is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is toolmaker pay rising or falling?
The median toolmaker salary is up $13,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than toolmaker?
Metal Machinist pays a typical $70,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to toolmaker.