How much to charge as a speaker in Australia
Let's talk about the number that makes most speakers go quiet.
Your fee.
Most speakers undercharge. They say yes to free gigs for the exposure, or they name a nervous, apologetic number and hope no one flinches. Meanwhile someone with the same experience is charging five figures for the same slot.
Here is what no one tells you. You are not bad at speaking. You are underpriced. That is fixable.
So let's talk real numbers. This is what to charge as a speaker in Australia, format by format, and how to hold your fee without losing the booking.
Free is not exposure. It is unpaid labour.
Speaking for free feels safe. No one can argue with the price, and you still get to stand on a stage.
The problem is what it teaches everyone in the room. It tells the organiser your time is worth nothing. Say it often enough and you start to believe it too.
There are a few moments a free talk earns its place. When the room is genuinely full of the exact people who buy what you sell. When the stage is known to book its speakers for paid work afterwards. When it is a cause you have personally chosen to support.
That is the list. Everything else has a number attached.
You are allowed to charge properly. Let's work out the number.
What to charge as a speaker in Australia
These are real, current fees for a professional speaker in Australia. Australian dollars, before GST, with travel and accommodation charged on top. For context, this is the range I work within.
| Format | Typical fee (AUD, plus GST) |
|---|---|
| Keynote | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| Half day workshop or training | $10,000 to $20,000 |
| Full day workshop or training | $20,000 to $40,000 |
| MC or host | From $1,500 for a local event, up to $10,000 for a major one |
| Virtual session | Your full in person fee, minus travel and expenses |
If you are newer, you build toward these. You do not sit at the bottom out of politeness. The number reflects what the work is worth, not how long you have been doing it.
Virtual does not mean cheap
Here is a myth worth killing. A virtual session is not a discount.
I charge the same fee for a virtual keynote or workshop as I do in person. The only thing that comes off is the travel and expenses, because I am not getting on a plane. The value you deliver on screen is the same value you deliver in the room, so the fee holds.
What moves your fee up or down
Pick the format, then move within the range based on four things.
Who is in the room and who is paying. A government department or a national corporate has a real budget. A local not for profit does not. Price the client, not the stage.
The outcome you deliver. A talk that entertains is worth less than a talk that changes how a team sells, leads, or shows up on Monday. Sell the result, not the minutes.
Your proof. Testimonials, past stages, media coverage, a book. Every piece of proof lets you charge more with a straight face.
The work involved. A bespoke full day with pre reading and a workbook is not the same as your signature keynote. Price the prep, not only the stage time.
The travel and GST rule people get wrong
Your speaking fee is your speaking fee. Flights, accommodation, airport transfers, and meals are charged on top. Absorb them quietly and you can hand back thousands without noticing.
If you are registered for GST, add it to the invoice. It is not part of your fee and it is not yours to swallow.
Put it in writing before the event. Fee here, travel and accommodation covered by the client, GST added. Clean and professional.
How to raise your fee without losing the gig
State your number, then stop talking. No apology, no nervous discount, no long explanation. The silence after your fee is doing the work.
Package instead of discounting. If the budget is tight, offer more value at the same fee before you ever cut it. A keynote plus a breakout. A Q and A session. Signed copies of your book.
Put your rate up as you go. Small, steady rises are normal and expected.
Stop auditioning. Start positioning. The moment you treat your fee as a fact rather than a favour, organisers treat it that way too.
The short version
Speaking for free is only worth it in a handful of specific situations. Everywhere else, you charge.
A professional speaker in Australia can command $5,000 to $15,000 for a keynote, $10,000 to $20,000 for a half day, and up to $40,000 for a full day. MC work runs from $1,500 for a local event up to around $10,000 for a major one.
Price the client and the outcome, not the stage. Keep travel and GST on top. Charge your full rate for virtual and only take off the travel.
Confidence is not a personality trait. It is a skill and a strategy. Your pricing is part of that strategy.
Ready to get booked and paid properly?
I have put together a free Speaker Guide that walks you through getting booked, positioned, and paid as a speaker, without chasing event organisers.
Grab it here: jaimieabbott.com.au/speakerguide
Jaimie
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