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Wool Classer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a wool classer is $72,800 per annum, before tax, up $15,100 since 2018.
Wool classers are usually paid per bale or on a daily rate for the days a shed is running, so a year's earnings depend on how many clips you can fit into the season. Pay rises with registration level, since a professional classer who stamps their own lines can take on larger clips and more of them than someone still classing under supervision. Rates also move with clip size and state, because the shearing season reaches different regions at different times of year, and contractors who cover their own travel and equipment set their rates accordingly.
Roles that pay more than wool classer
The largest typical pay rise is $13,000 a year, moving into Wool Buyer.
- Wool Buyer+$13,000/yr
- Sheep Farmer+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher wool classer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time wool classer salary is $72,800; 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 Craft and handmade production and Animal care and handling tend to command a premium over general wool classer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Wool Buyer 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."
Wool Classer salary questions
How much do wool classers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a wool classer is $72,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is wool classer pay rising or falling?
The median wool classer salary is up $15,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than wool classer?
Wool Buyer pays a typical $13,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to wool classer.