Winemaker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a winemaker is $88,400 per annum, before tax, up $18,600 since 2018.
Earnings move with the size of the winery and the level of the role, with chief and senior winemakers on considerably more than assistants and new entrants. Vintage work is often seasonal or contract, so a year's income depends partly on how many vintages you pick up, here or overseas. A track record with premium labels tends to do more for pay than further study.
Roles that pay more than winemaker
The largest typical pay rise is $25,700 a year, moving into Food Technologist.
- Food Technologist+$25,700/yr
- Food Scientist+$25,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher winemaker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time winemaker salary is $88,400; 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 Laboratory analysis and Food safety and hygiene tend to command a premium over general winemaker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Food Technologist pays a typical $25,700 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."
Winemaker salary questions
How much do winemakers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a winemaker is $88,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is winemaker pay rising or falling?
The median winemaker salary is up $18,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than winemaker?
Food Technologist pays a typical $25,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to winemaker.