Home Cartographer Salary
Cartographer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a cartographer is $91,000 per annum, before tax, up $19,400 since 2018.
Sector moves pay more than anything else here: mining and resources companies and private consultancies usually pay above government mapping agencies, and remote project work can add more again. In the public service your classification level and enterprise agreement set the figure, while consultancies tend to pay for the software and analysis skills you bring to a project. Because the field is small, being able to move between cartography, GIS analysis and surveying work tends to widen your options.
Roles that pay more than cartographer
The largest typical pay rise is $28,600 a year, moving into Surveyor.
- Surveyor+$28,600/yr
- GIS Analyst+$7,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher cartographer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time cartographer salary is $91,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Cartographers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Surveying and geospatial work and Data analysis tend to command a premium over general cartographer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Surveyor pays a typical $28,600 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Cartographer salary questions
How much do cartographers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a cartographer is $91,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is cartographer pay rising or falling?
The median cartographer salary is up $19,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than cartographer?
Surveyor pays a typical $28,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to cartographer.