What is the official median for valuers?
Jobs and Skills Australia publishes earnings for the Land Economists and Valuers unit group (ANZSCO 2245). The full-time median is $2,744 a week, compared with $1,852 across all occupations. The median hourly figure is $74, against $47 for all workers. Both come from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025.
The same profile counts about 13,800 people in the group. Most work full-time, at 87%, and full-timers average 45 hours a week. The median age is 40 and women make up 27% of the workforce. The unit group includes land economists as well as valuers, so the median covers some advisory and research roles too.
Graduate versus certified valuer pay
Pay moves most with your status. A graduate valuer works under supervision and earns far less than the median. A Landgate pool advertisement for graduate and licensed valuers in Western Australia listed a band of $73,295 to $109,364. The bottom of that band is a realistic starting point for a new graduate in government.
The step that lifts pay is certification. The Australian Property Institute grants Certified Practising Valuer (CPV) status together with Associate Membership. Applicants must meet its education and experience rules. Valuer-General Victoria describes the usual route as two years of full-time supervised work followed by a panel interview with the API Board of Examiners. At the senior end, one advertised senior valuer role offered a base of $160,000 to $200,000 including super.
Residential, commercial, government and private
The API runs a separate Certified Practising Valuer (Residential) certification alongside the full CPV. Residential valuers usually handle a high volume of mortgage valuations. Commercial valuers take on fewer, more complex jobs. No public dataset splits pay between the two, so treat any figure you see as a single employer's number, not a market rate.
Government valuation offices publish their salary bands. That makes them a useful benchmark when you weigh private offers. Valuer-General Victoria takes on trainees while they study and may offer a permanent job in the Victorian Public Service when they finish. Private firms advertise pay case by case, and some offer contract arrangements as well as salaried roles.
Which state pays valuers most?
Our modelled 2026 estimates put Western Australia highest at about $161,200 and the ACT close behind at $160,500. New South Wales sits at $148,200, Queensland at $145,700 and Victoria at $145,200. South Australia ($139,000) and Tasmania ($130,200) are lower. The Northern Territory comes in at about $151,400. These state figures are estimates built from the national data, not separate surveys.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. The national median comes from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, May 2025, moved to 2026 with a wage index. State figures are modelled estimates. The advertised rows are single employer figures. Certification, licensing, sector and seniority move pay the most. Refer to the Property Valuation salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Valuation degreeValuer-General Victoria recruits trainees studying a Bachelor of Business or Science (Property Valuation), or equivalent, at RMIT, Deakin or the University of Melbourne.
- Supervised experienceExpect two years of full-time supervised work before you can sit the API panel interview for CPV status.
- API certificationCPV and CPV (Residential) are granted with API Associate Membership. Certified members must complete the API's compulsory modules as part of their CPD.
- State licence or registrationWestern Australia requires a land valuer licence and Queensland requires registration with the Valuers Registration Board of Queensland. NSW repealed its valuer registration law in 2016.
- Driver licenceValuers inspect properties, and Valuer-General Victoria requires trainees to hold a current Victorian driver licence and pass a police check.
State by state
| New South Wales | The Valuers Act 2003, which made property valuers register, was repealed from 1 March 2016. There is no state registration scheme for valuers in NSW. |
|---|---|
| Western Australia | You must hold a licence from Consumer Protection to work as a land valuer, which requires good character and the set qualifications or experience. Assistants need no licence but must work under a licensed valuer's supervision. |
| Queensland | Valuers must be registered with the Valuers Registration Board of Queensland under the Valuers Registration Act 1992. The Board publishes the list of registered valuers in the Government Gazette. |
| Victoria | Valuer-General Victoria runs a Trainee Valuer Scheme for full-time valuation students. Trainees study for about three years and complete at least 15 weeks of placement each year. |
How to get there
- Years 1-3Study a valuation degreeEnrol in a property valuation degree. In Victoria you can apply for the Trainee Valuer Scheme and do paid placements while you study.
- Years 3-5Start as a graduate valuerWork under a certified or licensed valuer. Government bands for this stage begin in the low-to-mid $70,000s.
- Years 5-6Gain CPV statusAfter two years of full-time supervised experience, pass the API Board of Examiners panel interview.
- Years 5-6Get licensed or registeredIn WA and Queensland, get your state licence or registration so you can sign valuations in your own name.
- Year 8 onwardMove to senior valuerSenior roles in private firms have been advertised at $160,000 to $200,000 including super.
Open now on PropertyRoles.com.au
Questions people ask
What is the median salary for a property valuer in Australia?
The full-time median for land economists and valuers is $2,744 a week, or $74 an hour, from ABS May 2025 data. Moved forward to 2026 with a wage index, that comes to about $147,300 a year.
How much does a graduate valuer earn?
Graduates earn well below the median while they work under supervision. A Landgate pool advertisement for graduate and licensed valuers in WA listed $73,295 to $109,364, and graduates start at the bottom of that band.
Does becoming a Certified Practising Valuer increase pay?
Yes. CPV status is the API's top professional certification for valuers, and senior private-sector roles have been advertised at $160,000 to $200,000 including super.
Do valuers need a licence in Australia?
It depends on the state. WA requires a land valuer licence and Queensland requires registration with the Valuers Registration Board of Queensland. NSW repealed its registration law from 1 March 2016.
How many hours do valuers work?
Full-time land economists and valuers average 45 hours a week, a little above the all-occupation average of 44. About 87% of the workforce works full-time hours.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Land Economists and Valuers (ANZSCO 2245)
- Valuer-General Victoria: Apply for the trainee valuer scheme
- Consumer Protection WA: Land valuers
- Revenue NSW: Valuation of property, suitably qualified valuer
- Valuers Registration Board of Queensland: Registered valuers gazette, September 2025
- Australian Property Institute: Certified Practising Valuer (CPV)
- Australian Property Institute: Compulsory modules
- WA Government Jobs: Landgate graduate and licensed valuers pool
- Australian Property Institute careers: Senior Valuer
