Tunneller salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a tunneller is $111,800 per annum, before tax, up $23,100 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Underground conditions and project rosters are what move tunnelling pay rather than the trade itself.
- Shift penalties, confined space and remote allowances, and enterprise agreements on major projects all add to the base rate, and mining work pays on a different scale from urban transport jobs.
- Experience on roadheaders or boring machines, and a leading hand or supervisory role, pushes it further again.
The median salary rose by $23,100 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 tunneller
The largest typical pay rise is $39,400 a year, moving into Miner.
- Miner+$39,400/yr
- Driller+$39,400/yr
- Shot Firer+$7,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher tunneller salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time tunneller salary is $111,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Worksite safety management and Hand and power tool work tend to command a premium over general tunneller experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Miner pays a typical $39,400 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."
Tunneller salary questions
How much do tunnellers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a tunneller is $111,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is tunneller pay rising or falling?
The median tunneller salary is up $23,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than tunneller?
Miner pays a typical $39,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to tunneller.
Related salaries
- Shot Firer salary
- Miner salary
- Driller salary
- Conveyor Belt Splicer salary
- Civil Construction Labourer salary
- Mining 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.