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Watchmaker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a watchmaker is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,700 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on where you work and what you can service.
- Brand-owned service centres and authorised dealers usually pay more than small independent repair shops, and watchmakers accredited for particular makes, or able to handle vintage and complicated movements, can ask for more.
- Self-employed watchmakers set their own rates but carry the cost of tools, parts and quiet periods.
The median salary rose by $13,700 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 watchmaker
The largest typical pay rise is $13,000 a year, moving into Precision Instrument Maker.
- Precision Instrument Maker+$13,000/yr
- Gunsmith+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher watchmaker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time watchmaker salary is $65,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Watchmakers 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 Craft and handmade production and Inventory management tend to command a premium over general watchmaker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Precision Instrument Maker pays a typical $13,000 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."
Watchmaker salary questions
How much do watchmakers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a watchmaker is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is watchmaker pay rising or falling?
The median watchmaker salary is up $13,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than watchmaker?
Precision Instrument Maker pays a typical $13,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to watchmaker.
Related salaries
- Gunsmith salary
- Precision Instrument Maker salary
- Sewing Machinist salary
- Shoemaker salary
- Leather Goods Maker salary
- Upholsterer 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.