Home Laundry Worker Salary
Laundry Worker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a laundry worker is $49,900 per annum, before tax, up $10,300 since 2018.
Most laundry workers are paid under the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Industry Award, so shift loadings make a real difference: night, weekend and public holiday hours attract penalty rates on top of the base rate. In-house hospital and aged care laundries often sit under health sector agreements with different rates again. Team leaders, dry cleaning staff and those handling chemical dosing tend to earn more than general hands.
Roles that pay more than laundry worker
The largest typical pay rise is $41,700 a year, moving into Aged Care Worker.
- Aged Care Worker+$41,700/yr
- Process Worker+$29,100/yr
- Cleaner+$19,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher laundry worker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time laundry worker salary is $49,900; 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 Cleaning and grounds maintenance and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general laundry worker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Aged Care Worker pays a typical $41,700 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."
Laundry Worker salary questions
How much do laundry workers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a laundry worker is $49,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is laundry worker pay rising or falling?
The median laundry worker salary is up $10,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than laundry worker?
Aged Care Worker pays a typical $41,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to laundry worker.