Home Tow Truck Driver Salary
Tow Truck Driver salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a tow truck driver is $70,200 per annum, before tax, up $14,500 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Smaller operators often pay close to the award rate, while larger fleets and government contracts tend to sit higher, so the employer matters as much as the job title.
- How the roster is built makes the biggest difference: rotating shifts, on-call weeks and public holiday callouts usually carry penalty rates, and some operators pay a commission or a share of each job instead of a flat hourly rate.
- Vehicle class counts too, since heavy recovery and accident work pays better than light towing.
The median salary rose by $14,500 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 tow truck driver
The largest typical pay rise is $31,700 a year, moving into Truck Driver.
- Truck Driver+$31,700/yr
- Bus Driver+$23,100/yr
- Tanker Driver+$15,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher tow truck driver salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time tow truck driver salary is $70,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Tow Truck Drivers 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 Driving and transport operations and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general tow truck driver experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Truck Driver pays a typical $31,700 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."
Tow Truck Driver salary questions
How much do tow truck drivers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a tow truck driver is $70,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is tow truck driver pay rising or falling?
The median tow truck driver salary is up $14,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than tow truck driver?
Truck Driver pays a typical $31,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to tow truck driver.
Related salaries
- Tanker Driver salary
- Truck Driver salary
- Bus Driver salary
- Waste Collector salary
- Driving Examiner 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.