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Aircraft Maintenance Engineer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an aircraft maintenance engineer is $103,000 per annum, before tax, up $21,300 since 2018.
Licensed engineers earn more than unlicensed tradespeople, so the licence category you hold and the aircraft type ratings on it do most of the work on your pay. Shift work, overtime and public holiday work add penalty rates in most airline and line maintenance jobs, and defence and heavy maintenance contracts sit at different levels again.
Roles that pay more than aircraft maintenance engineer
The largest typical pay rise is $34,700 a year, moving into Aerospace Engineer.
- Aerospace Engineer+$34,700/yr
- Mechanical Engineer+$32,900/yr
- Metal Machinist+$32,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher aircraft maintenance engineer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time aircraft maintenance engineer salary is $103,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Aircraft Maintenance Engineers 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 Reading plans and specifications and Installation and maintenance tend to command a premium over general aircraft maintenance engineer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Aerospace Engineer pays a typical $34,700 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."
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer salary questions
How much do aircraft maintenance engineers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an aircraft maintenance engineer is $103,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is aircraft maintenance engineer pay rising or falling?
The median aircraft maintenance engineer salary is up $21,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than aircraft maintenance engineer?
Aerospace Engineer pays a typical $34,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to aircraft maintenance engineer.