Stevedore salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a stevedore is $101,400 per annum, before tax, up $20,900 since 2018.
Most stevedores are covered by enterprise agreements that set base rates and the loadings attached to shifts, so what you take home depends heavily on the roster you work. Night shifts, weekends and public holidays pay more than ordinary hours, and people who work them regularly earn above the middle of the range. Casual and labour hire work often carries a loading, but with less certainty about how many shifts you get in a month.
Roles that pay more than stevedore
The largest typical pay rise is $76,000 a year, moving into Crane Operator.
- Crane Operator+$76,000/yr
- Bulk Materials Handling Operator+$4,700/yr
- Truck Driver+$500/yr
How to negotiate a higher stevedore salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time stevedore salary is $101,400; 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 Plant and equipment operation and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general stevedore experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Crane Operator pays a typical $76,000 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."
Stevedore salary questions
How much do stevedores earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a stevedore is $101,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is stevedore pay rising or falling?
The median stevedore salary is up $20,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than stevedore?
Crane Operator pays a typical $76,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to stevedore.