Tailor salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a tailor is $54,600 per annum, before tax, up $11,500 since 2018.
How a tailor is paid shapes earnings more than the job title does. Retail alteration work is usually an hourly rate or a rate per garment, which holds pay down, while bespoke and bridal work is quoted per job and can pay more for the same hours. Tailors who run their own business set their own prices but carry the quiet weeks and the overheads themselves.
Roles that pay more than tailor
The largest typical pay rise is $23,400 a year, moving into Textile Designer.
- Textile Designer+$23,400/yr
- Clothing Patternmaker+$10,400/yr
- Costume Maker+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher tailor salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time tailor salary is $54,600; 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 Craft and handmade production and Inventory management tend to command a premium over general tailor experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Textile Designer pays a typical $23,400 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."
Tailor salary questions
How much do tailors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a tailor is $54,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is tailor pay rising or falling?
The median tailor salary is up $11,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than tailor?
Textile Designer pays a typical $23,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to tailor.