Home Truck Driver Salary
Truck Driver salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a truck driver is $101,900 per annum, before tax, up $21,300 since 2018.
The award or enterprise agreement covering your employer sets a floor, and long-haul, night and weekend runs usually carry loadings on top of it. The licence class matters too, with multi-combination work paying more than a rigid truck on local runs. Owner-drivers earn by the load or the kilometre rather than by the hour, which can pay better but leaves fuel, maintenance and registration with them.
Roles that pay more than truck driver
The largest typical pay rise is $49,300 a year, moving into Miner.
- Miner+$49,300/yr
- Transport Manager+$36,000/yr
- Earthmoving Plant Operator+$1,100/yr
How to negotiate a higher truck driver salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time truck driver salary is $101,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. 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 Inventory management tend to command a premium over general truck driver experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Miner pays a typical $49,300 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."
Truck Driver salary questions
How much do truck drivers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a truck driver is $101,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is truck driver pay rising or falling?
The median truck driver salary is up $21,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than truck driver?
Miner pays a typical $49,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to truck driver.