Home Track Rider Salary
Track Rider salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a track rider is $57,200 per annum, before tax, up $12,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- How a track rider is paid shapes the weekly figure more than anything else: some are on wages with penalty rates for the early starts, while others are paid per horse or per session, so earnings move with how many horses a stable has in work.
- A rider trusted with a trainer's better horses tends to get more rides, and reputation within a racing centre counts for a lot.
- Registration conditions and minimum employment standards are set by the principal racing authority in each state, so check what applies where you work.
The median salary rose by $12,000 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 track rider
The largest typical pay rise is $10,400 a year, moving into Jockey.
- Jockey+$10,400/yr
- Racehorse Trainer+$5,200/yr
- Horse Trainer+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher track rider salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time track rider salary is $57,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Track Riders 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 Animal care and handling tend to command a premium over general track rider experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Jockey pays a typical $10,400 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."
Track Rider salary questions
How much do track riders earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a track rider is $57,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is track rider pay rising or falling?
The median track rider salary is up $12,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than track rider?
Jockey pays a typical $10,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to track rider.
Related salaries
- Jockey salary
- Harness Racing Driver salary
- Horse Trainer salary
- Racehorse Trainer salary
- Stablehand salary
- Sports Umpire 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.