Auto Electrician Salary: Where It Sits Against the National Line
If you're an auto electrician – or thinking of becoming one – you probably want to know how your pay stacks up against the average Australian worker. The short answer: auto electricians earn well above the national full-time average, but the exact figure depends on where you work, which award covers you, and how many hours you actually put in.
This article uses the latest official data from the ABS and Jobs and Skills Australia to show where the auto electrician salary sits on the national line, and why state and award factors can push it higher or lower.
The National Full-Time Average
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 puts the national full-time adult ordinary-time average at $2,083.70 per week. That works out to about $108,352 a year (multiply by 52). This is the line that Place a salary on the line uses as its benchmark.
For context:
- The full-time median (the middle point of all full-time earnings) is about $90,532 a year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025).
- The all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100 a year.
- The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week.
So the national line is well above the minimum wage and above the median – meaning many full-time workers earn less than the average.
Where Auto Electricians Sit
According to Jobs and Skills Australia, drawing on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), the median full-time weekly earnings for automotive electricians is $2,808. That is about $146,016 a year if you work 52 weeks.
But there's a catch: the average full-time hours for auto electricians are 49 hours per week, not the standard 38. The median hourly earnings are $46 per hour – still well above the national minimum, but the weekly figure reflects longer hours. If you compare on a like-for-like 38-hour week, the hourly rate of $46 gives a weekly equivalent of $1,748, which is below the national full-time average. However, most auto electricians work more than 38 hours, so the actual weekly pay is higher.
This is a key point: the national average is based on ordinary-time earnings for a standard week, while many trades earn more by working overtime or longer shifts. The auto electrician salary is a good example of how the line can be misleading if you don't account for hours.
How State Location Moves the Figure
State averages for all full-time workers vary significantly. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings (May 2026) gives these annualised figures:
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
- Western Australia: $115,825
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- South Australia: $102,450
- Tasmania: $96,008
Auto electricians in high-wage states like WA or the ACT are likely to earn more than the national median for the occupation, because the overall labour market is stronger. In Tasmania, the lower state average suggests auto electricians there may earn less, though award rates provide a floor.
For a detailed breakdown of state figures, see States and territories.
Award Coverage and the Minimum Wage Floor
Most auto electricians are covered by the Vehicle Manufacturing, Repair, Services and Retail Award or a similar enterprise agreement. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026, following the Fair Work Commission's annual wage review. The national minimum wage itself went up to $26.44 per hour.
Even if an auto electrician is paid at the award rate (which is above the national minimum), the actual salary can still be below the national full-time average if hours are standard. But many employers pay above award to attract skilled workers, especially in states with labour shortages.
The key takeaway: the auto electrician salary is not a single number. It moves depending on:
- State: higher in ACT and WA, lower in Tasmania.
- Award vs enterprise agreement: collective agreements often pay more than the award.
- Hours: longer hours push weekly pay above the national line.
How the Figures Are Set
The national average comes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey, which is published twice a year (May and November). The occupation median comes from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, which is less frequent. Jobs and Skills Australia combines these with Census data to produce occupation profiles.
For more on methodology, see How the figures are set.
Summary
The auto electrician salary sits well above the national full-time average when measured by median weekly earnings ($2,808 vs $2,084). But that gap narrows when you adjust for the longer average hours (49 vs 38). State location and award coverage can shift the figure further – a Tasmanian auto electrician on the award may earn less than the national line, while a West Australian on an enterprise agreement may earn significantly more.
If you want to see where your own salary falls, Place a salary on the line and compare it to the national average, medians, and minimum wage.