Fitter and turner salary in Australia

The official figure

Jobs and Skills Australia's profile for Metal Fitters and Machinists (ANZSCO 3232) shows median full-time earnings of $2,606 a week and median hourly earnings of $60, as at May 2025 ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours data. The median for all occupations is $1,852 a week.

This group includes Fitter (General), Fitter and Turner, Fitter-Welder and Metal Machinist (First Class). A separate median is not published for Fitter and Turner on its own, so the group figure is the best official guide. The figure is for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax.

What the median hides

That $2,606 is not what a typical workshop fitter takes home for a 38 hour week. Full-time workers in this group average 50 hours a week, and Fitter (General), which is mostly maintenance fitters, averages 52 hours. Weekly earnings include overtime and penalty rates, so long mine site rosters pull the median up a lot.

• •Overtime and shift penalties make a big difference, especially on 12 hour mine shifts
• •Western Australia and Queensland hold more than half of the workforce, mostly because of mining
• •Machine shop and manufacturing jobs on day shift usually sit well below the median
• •Self-employed fitters and machinists are not in the employee earnings data at all

Award vs enterprise agreement

Most fitters and turners in workshops and maintenance contracting are covered by the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010). The award sets the minimum, and many employers pay above it to keep good tradies.

Bigger employers, including miners, utilities, shipbuilders and large manufacturers, usually pay under an enterprise agreement (EBA). EBAs often have higher base rates plus allowances for site work, shifts and rosters. If you work directly for a mine operator, a mining award such as the Mining Industry Award (MA000011) or the Black Coal Mining Industry Award (MA000001) may be the base instead. You can look up registered agreements on the Fair Work Commission website.

Mining and FIFO

Mining is where the big money is for maintenance fitters. FIFO and residential rosters with 12 hour shifts, site allowances and shutdown overtime can put a fitter well above the median. The trade-off is time away from home, fatigue and a lifestyle that does not suit everyone.

Shutdown contractors who travel from site to site can earn a lot in a short burst of work, but the work comes and goes.

Fitter vs machinist pay

Maintenance fitters usually earn more overall because so many work in mining with overtime. Machinists in workshops often work standard hours, so their weekly pay is lower, but skilled CNC machinists and programmers are scarce and can command good rates, especially in defence, aerospace and precision manufacturing.

Self-employment and contracting

Some fitters and turners run their own machine shop or maintenance contracting business. The upside is you set your rates and keep the profit. The downside is the cost of machines and insurance, chasing payments, and no paid leave or super unless you pay it yourself. Contracting through a labour hire or shutdown company is a halfway step that many people try first.

Apprentice pay

Apprentice pay under the award is a percentage of the trade rate that goes up each stage of your apprenticeship. Junior and adult apprentices are paid differently, and adult apprentice rates exist for older starters. Rates can also depend on whether you finished Year 12. Rates change every year, so we do not quote them here.

Use the Fair Work Pay Calculator to check your exact rate. If you are on an EBA, apprentice rates in your agreement may be higher, so read it or ask your employer for a copy.

Check the live figure

The figures here are as at May 2025 ABS data. Jobs and Skills Australia has said its ANZSCO-based profiles will not be updated again and it is moving to new OSCA-based occupation profiles. Check the live figures on Your Career or Jobs and Skills Australia before making big decisions.