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Metallurgical Technician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a metallurgical technician is $98,800 per annum, before tax, up $21,100 since 2018.
Where the work sits matters more than the job title: mine sites and remote operations usually pay above city laboratories, often through site allowances and roster arrangements. Shift work, fly-in, fly-out rosters and enterprise agreements at large producers lift earnings further, while manufacturing and commercial analytical laboratories tend to sit lower. A metallurgy degree opens the higher-paying process and senior technical roles, which is one reason some technicians study part time while working.
Roles that pay more than metallurgical technician
The largest typical pay rise is $84,900 a year, moving into Refinery Operator.
- Refinery Operator+$84,900/yr
- Metallurgist+$13,000/yr
- Materials Engineer+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher metallurgical technician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time metallurgical technician salary is $98,800; 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 Laboratory analysis and Field inspection and testing tend to command a premium over general metallurgical technician experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Refinery Operator pays a typical $84,900 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."
Metallurgical Technician salary questions
How much do metallurgical technicians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a metallurgical technician is $98,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is metallurgical technician pay rising or falling?
The median metallurgical technician salary is up $21,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than metallurgical technician?
Refinery Operator pays a typical $84,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to metallurgical technician.