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Commodity Trader salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a commodity trader is $134,000 per annum, before tax, up $28,200 since 2018.
A trading desk pays a base salary plus a bonus tied to the profit the trader's book makes, so total earnings can sit well above the base in a good year and close to it in a poor one. The commodity matters, with energy and metals desks generally paying more than agricultural ones, and the same job at a trading house, a bank and a producer is structured differently. Beyond that, pay follows the size of the risk limit a trader is trusted with and how long they have run their own book.
Roles that pay more than commodity trader
The largest typical pay rise is $13,400 a year, moving into Procurement Manager.
- Procurement Manager+$13,400/yr
- Sales Manager+$5,200/yr
- Equities Trader+$3,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher commodity trader salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time commodity trader salary is $134,000; 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 Financial analysis and modelling and Risk and internal controls tend to command a premium over general commodity trader experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Procurement Manager pays a typical $13,400 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."
Commodity Trader salary questions
How much do commodity traders earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a commodity trader is $134,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is commodity trader pay rising or falling?
The median commodity trader salary is up $28,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than commodity trader?
Procurement Manager pays a typical $13,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to commodity trader.