Home Site Supervisor Salary
Site Supervisor salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a site supervisor is $85,800 per annum, before tax, up $18,200 since 2018.
What you earn depends heavily on who employs you and what you are building, with large head contractors and civil infrastructure projects generally paying more than small residential builders, and enterprise agreements on major projects setting base rates and loadings. Saturday work and long days are common, and penalty rates or a site allowance may apply under those agreements. Location plays a part in general terms as well, with remote projects often adding allowances to attract people.
Roles that pay more than site supervisor
The largest typical pay rise is $109,300 a year, moving into Construction Manager.
- Construction Manager+$109,300/yr
- Building Inspector+$32,800/yr
- Builder+$28,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher site supervisor salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time site supervisor salary is $85,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Site Supervisors are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, 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 Project management and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general site supervisor experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Construction Manager pays a typical $109,300 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."
Site Supervisor salary questions
How much do site supervisors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a site supervisor is $85,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is site supervisor pay rising or falling?
The median site supervisor salary is up $18,200 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than site supervisor?
Construction Manager pays a typical $109,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to site supervisor.