Average Actor Salary in Australia for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Actor salary for 2024 in Australia and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Australian dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the AUD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does an Actor Make in Australia?

An Actor working in Australia will typically earn around 114,600 AUD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 60,500 AUD to the highest average salary of 172,100 AUD.

Average Annual Salary
114,600 AUD
Average Monthly Salary
9,550 AUD

Lowest Annual Salary
60,500 AUD
Lowest Monthly Salary
5,041 AUD

Highest Annual Salary
172,100 AUD
Highest Monthly Salary
14,341 AUD

These are average salaries for an Actor in Australia and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Actor to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Actor salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Actor Salaries in Australia

So we've looked at the average salaries an Actor will earn in Australia. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Actor can earn between 60,500 AUD and 172,100 AUD on average in Australia. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Actor in Australia is 109,700 AUD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 109,700 AUD, and 50% of the population earn more than 109,700 AUD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Actor salary in Australia, 25% of the population are earning less than 77,000 AUD while 75% of the population earn more than 77,000 AUD.

75% of the population earn less than 134,700 AUD, and 25% of the population earn more than 134,700 AUD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Actor Salary by Experience Level in Australia

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average actor salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Actor in Australia that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 67,200 AUD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Actor salary would increase to 89,200 AUD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Actor, the average salary would be 115,600 AUD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 142,100 AUD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Actor with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 152,700 AUD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Actor with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 161,300 AUD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
67,200 AUD
2-5 Years +34%
89,200 AUD
5-10 Years +30%
115,600 AUD
10-15 Years +21%
142,100 AUD
15-20 Years +9%
152,700 AUD
20+ Years +5%
161,300 AUD

Actor Salary by Education Level in Australia

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Actor in Australia based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. An Actor in Australia with a high school education can earn an average salary of 79,600 AUD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. An Actor in Australia with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 114,900 AUD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. An Actor in Australia with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 156,200 AUD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
79,600 AUD
Certificate or Diploma +43%
114,900 AUD
Bachelor's Degree +38%
156,200 AUD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Australia is around 37,800 to 114,000 AUD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Actor Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Australia, a male actor will earn an average of 114,300 AUD, while a female actor will earn around 111,700 AUD.

This means that a male actor earns approximately 2% more than a female actor for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Australia

Male
114,300 AUD
Female -2%
111,700 AUD

Actor Average Pay Raise in Australia

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Actor in Australia is around 12% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Australia is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that an Actor in Australia can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Australia for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Australia.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Actor Bonus and Incentive Rates in Australia

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Actor is a low bonus based job, with 30% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

70% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3%.

Received Bonus
30%
No Bonus
70%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Australia earn approximately 5% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
92,500 AUD
Private Sector -5%
87,900 AUD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Actor

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Actor in Australia.

Job Title Category Salary
3D Artist Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 83,300 AUD
3D Designer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 79,800 AUD
3D Generalist Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 68,400 AUD
3D Visualization Specialist Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 85,400 AUD
Acrobatic Rigger Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 56,900 AUD
Art Administrator Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 85,400 AUD
Art Director Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 114,900 AUD
Art Lead Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 107,700 AUD
Associate Media Director Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 90,900 AUD
Associate Producer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 123,000 AUD
Broadcast and Sound Engineer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 71,700 AUD
Broadcast Associate Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 60,800 AUD
Broadcast News Analyst Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 87,600 AUD
Broadcast Technician Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 52,800 AUD
Broadcasting Journalist Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 109,000 AUD
Broadcasting Presenter Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 116,400 AUD
Camera Equipment Repairer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 62,600 AUD
Camera Operator Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 56,100 AUD
Cartoonist / Animator Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 83,100 AUD
CAS Engineer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 92,200 AUD
Censorship Executive Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 99,900 AUD
Choreographer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 70,700 AUD
Colorist Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 45,300 AUD
Communications Manager Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 130,500 AUD
Correspondent Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 99,400 AUD
Dance Director Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 84,300 AUD
Dancer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 78,200 AUD
Director of Photography Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 93,800 AUD
Disc Jockey Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 55,200 AUD
Editorial Assistant Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 47,400 AUD
Events Manager Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 83,800 AUD
Graphic Designer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 57,800 AUD
Illustrator Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 66,900 AUD
Industrial Designer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 58,100 AUD
Instructional Designer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 54,100 AUD
Journalist Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 109,700 AUD
Makeup Artist Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 58,200 AUD
Media Design Manager Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 146,900 AUD
Media Equipment Operator Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 47,400 AUD
Media Operations Manager Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 117,100 AUD
Media Planner Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 81,400 AUD
Media Producer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 114,600 AUD
Media Product Development Manager Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 141,000 AUD
Media Production Manager Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 140,700 AUD
Media Program Director Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 158,900 AUD
Media Relation Executive Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 161,300 AUD
Media Relations Manager Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 151,800 AUD
Media Sales Manager Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 168,700 AUD
Movement and Dance Coordinator Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 87,700 AUD
Multimedia Coordinator Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 60,900 AUD
Multimedia Designer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 59,100 AUD
Music Consultant Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 82,200 AUD
Musician Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 66,900 AUD
News Associate Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 79,700 AUD
News Reporter Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 105,800 AUD
Post Production Assistant Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 50,300 AUD
Producer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 134,700 AUD
Product Designer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 58,600 AUD
Product Planner Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 75,400 AUD
Production Artist Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 75,800 AUD
Production Assistant Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 56,100 AUD
Production Director Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 127,600 AUD
Production Technician Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 49,400 AUD
Program Researcher Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 91,700 AUD
Promotion Coordinator Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 69,200 AUD
Sound Engineer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 73,500 AUD
Sound Engineering Technician Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 43,800 AUD
Stage Technician Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 46,300 AUD
Sub Editor Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 51,500 AUD
Television Executive Producer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 172,300 AUD
Transmission Engineer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 79,600 AUD
Video Editor Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 63,500 AUD
Video Producer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 88,400 AUD
Videographer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 74,200 AUD
Visual Designer Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment 76,600 AUD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Australia, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Adelaide 108,200 AUD
Brisbane 114,300 AUD
Canberra-Queanbeyan 109,700 AUD
Gold Coast-Tweed 114,600 AUD
Gosford 102,700 AUD
Melbourne 123,800 AUD
Newcastle 114,600 AUD
Perth 118,900 AUD
Sunshine Coast 102,700 AUD
Sydney 123,000 AUD
Wollongong 107,700 AUD

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