Tunneller salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a tunneller is $111,800 per annum, before tax, up $23,100 since 2018.
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.
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.
- Use demand as leverage. Tunnellers 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 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.