By the ConConnect team · Updated August 2026 · Award rates read from the FWC consolidated award; market data from ABS, Seek and Indeed
Employed concreters typically earn $70,000–$100,000 a year in Australia — around $43–$47 an hour at market rates, well above the $28.62 award floor. Apprentices start near $16 an hour, and subbies charge $60–$90+ gross. Here's the full ladder, why the published numbers disagree, and what a subbie's rate is really worth after costs.
| Level | Pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice, stage 1 | ~$16.20/hr (~$615/wk) | 55% of the award standard rate |
| Apprentice, final stage | ~$26.50/hr (~$1,007/wk) | 90% of the standard rate |
| Award floor (qualified) | $28.62/hr ($1,087.50/wk) | MA000020 CW2 base, from 1 July 2026 — allowances go on top |
| Market rate (employee) | $43–$47/hr ($70k–$100k/yr) | Job-board and ABS data; Perth and Brisbane at the top |
| Subcontractor (gross) | $60–$90+/hr (~$500–$700/day) | Before super, insurance, tools, vehicle and downtime |
Award figures from the Building and Construction General On-site Award (MA000020) as at 1 July 2026; market figures from ABS, Seek, Indeed and Talent.com, August 2026.
Why do published salaries disagree? Job boards average $80,000–$92,000, while the ABS puts the full-time median at about $2,209 a week — roughly $115,000 a year. Both are right: concreters average 45-hour weeks, so the ABS figure includes the overtime that job ads don't. And the award is a floor, not a market rate — nearly everyone qualified earns well above it. City matters too: Perth (~$52/hr) and Brisbane (~$50/hr) currently lead Sydney (~$48/hr).
The jump from $45 an hour on wages to $70+ on an ABN looks like a pay rise — but it isn't, until you've done the maths. A subbie's rate has to fund super, public liability and income-protection insurance, the ute, tools, quoting time and every rain day. After those costs, a $65-an-hour ABN rate typically nets around $38 — which is why the standard advice is that your charge-out rate needs to be roughly double your target wage.
Before you quote your first job in your own name, run your numbers through the charge-out rate calculator — it builds the rate from your target income, overheads and real billable hours. And if you're still deciding whether to get on the tools at all, start with how to become a concreter.
Employed concreters typically earn $70,000–$100,000 a year in Australia (2026), with market hourly rates of $43–$47. Job-board averages sit around $80,000–$92,000, and the ABS full-time median is higher again — about $2,209 a week — because concreters average 45-hour weeks including overtime. The award floor is $28.62 per hour plus allowances.
Concreters fall under the Building and Construction General On-site Award (MA000020). From 1 July 2026, a qualified concrete finisher (CW2) has a base rate of $28.62 per hour or $1,087.50 per week, with industry and tool allowances on top — which is why practical award floors are usually quoted at $29–$30 per hour. Casuals add a 25% loading.
Apprentice wages under the award are a percentage of the qualified standard rate: roughly $16.20 per hour (55%) in stage one, $22.09 (75%) in stage two, and $26.51 (90%) in the final stage, plus allowances. Adult apprentices over 21 are paid at least the entry-level adult rate instead.
Subcontract concreters typically charge $60–$90+ per hour gross — roughly $500–$700 a day — and more when quoting homeowners directly. But gross isn't take-home: after super, insurance, tools, vehicle and unpaid downtime, the net is typically 35–45% lower, which is why a subbie on $65 per hour can effectively net around $38. Run your own numbers before setting a rate.
Financially, yes: qualification takes only 12–24 months, demand is steady with around 3,200 extra jobs a year, and the ladder from wages to subcontracting can double gross earnings. The honest trade-off is physical — it's heavy, weather-exposed work with early starts, and bodies feel it over the decades. Many concreters manage that by moving up to supervising or running crews.
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