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Panel beater salary: how it compares with the national average and what you take home

The median full-time panel beater earns $1,684 a week before tax, which is about $87,568 a year — well below the national full-time ordinary-time average of $2,083.70 a week ($108,352 a year).

This sits on the Australian full-time average.

Week, hour, and a tax sketch

$2,084 a week · $54.83 an hour if spread over 38 hours

About $83,159 after resident income tax and a 2% Medicare levy.

2026–27 resident rates and a 2% Medicare levy. Not a tax assessment.Open the full line

Panel beater salary: where it sits against the national line

If you are a panel beater or considering the trade, the key question is how your pay compares with the broader workforce. The most authoritative figure comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), via the Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, and is reported by Jobs and Skills Australia. For full-time panelbeaters, the median weekly earnings are $1,684. That is before tax and before any salary sacrifice. On a 38-hour week (the standard used on this site), that works out to about $87,568 a year.

How the national average sets the line

This site uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 as its reference line. That figure — full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 a week — is the national benchmark. It is an average, not a median, and it covers all full-time adults across all industries. At $108,352 a year, it is about 24% higher than the panel beater median.

Why the gap? The average is pulled up by high-earning occupations such as managers and professionals. Panel beating sits in the middle of the earnings distribution. The median for all full-time employees (not just panelbeaters) is about $1,741 a week ($90,532 a year), according to the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours release for August 2025. So a panel beater on $1,684 is slightly below the all-occupations full-time median.

A resident take-home sketch

Tax matters. Using the 2026–27 resident tax rates and the 2% Medicare levy, here is what a panel beater on the median might keep:

  • Gross annual salary: $87,568
  • Tax on first $18,200: nil
  • Tax on $18,201 to $45,000: 15% = $4,020
  • Tax on $45,001 to $87,568: 30% = $12,770
  • Total tax: $16,790
  • Medicare levy (2% of $87,568): $1,751
  • After-tax income: $69,027 (about $1,327 a week)

Compare that with someone earning the national full-time average of $108,352:

  • Tax: $24,706
  • Medicare levy: $2,167
  • After-tax: $81,479 (about $1,567 a week)

The difference in take-home pay is about $240 a week. That is meaningful, but the panel beater’s after-tax income of nearly $70,000 is still above the national all-employees median of $74,100 before tax (about $57,000 after tax for a typical worker).

Where panel beaters fit in the broader picture

Panel beating is a skilled trade with strong demand. The Jobs and Skills Australia profile notes that 91% of panelbeaters work full-time, compared with 69% across all occupations. The median age is 44, suggesting an experienced workforce. The median hourly earnings are $39, below the all-occupations median of $43 an hour.

For context, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week on a 38-hour week ($52,255 a year). Award minimums for the vehicle repair industry rose by 4.75% in the same adjustment. A panel beater on the median earns about 67% more than the minimum wage.

State-by-state comparison

The national full-time average varies by state. If you are a panel beater in Western Australia, where the state average is $115,825 a year, the gap to the national line is wider. In Tasmania, where the state average is $96,008, the gap is narrower. Here are the state full-time averages (from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, multiplied by 52):

  • New South Wales: $109,658
  • Victoria: $106,137
  • Queensland: $106,064
  • South Australia: $102,450
  • Western Australia: $115,825
  • Tasmania: $96,008
  • Northern Territory: $103,173
  • Australian Capital Territory: $119,090

A panel beater earning $87,568 would be below every state average. But remember: these are averages across all industries, not trade-specific figures.

What the data does not tell you

The median figure of $1,684 is from the May 2023 survey. The ABS updates its Employee Earnings and Hours survey every two years, so the next release (for May 2025) is expected in early 2026. Until then, this is the best available. Also, the figure is for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. It excludes part-time workers, apprentices, and managers, so it reflects the typical experienced panel beater.

If you are an apprentice, your pay will be a percentage of the award rate, which is lower. The Fair Work Ombudsman sets minimum wages for the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award. For a first-year apprentice, that can be as low as 50% of the standard rate.

How to use this site

Place a salary on the line to see how any wage compares with the national full-time average. You can also explore states and territories to see regional differences, or browse job medians for other trades. For a deeper look at how the ABS collects its data, see How the figures are set.

The bottom line

A panel beater on the median of $1,684 a week earns a solid income — well above the minimum wage and above the all-employees median. But it sits about 19% below the national full-time average of $2,083.70. After tax, the take-home difference is about $240 a week. That is a meaningful gap, but not an enormous one for a skilled trade with stable demand.

Questions

What is the average panel beater salary in Australia?

The most reliable published figure is the median weekly earnings for full-time panelbeaters: $1,684 per week, according to the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2023), as reported by Jobs and Skills Australia. That works out to about $87,568 a year before tax. The ABS does not publish a separate average for this occupation, so the median is the best guide.

How does a panel beater salary compare with the national average?

The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 a week ($108,352 a year), from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026. A panel beater on the median of $1,684 a week earns about $400 less per week, or roughly $20,800 less per year. That is about 19% below the national full-time average.

What would a panel beater take home after tax?

Using the 2026–27 tax rates (nil up to $18,200, 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, plus 2% Medicare levy), a panel beater earning the median of $87,568 a year would pay about $18,450 in tax and $1,751 in Medicare levy, leaving roughly $67,367 after tax. That is about $1,295 a week. By comparison, someone on the national full-time average of $108,352 would take home about $80,000 after tax.

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