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Data Cabler salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a data cabler is $80,600 per annum, before tax, up $17,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay moves with the sector and the size of the project: cablers on large commercial builds, data centres and carrier network work are usually covered by enterprise agreements that pay above the award, while residential and small fit-off jobs sit closer to the minimum.
- Sole traders and subcontractors quote per job, so earnings depend on how much work they win against the cost of test equipment, a vehicle and insurance.
- Holding optical fibre and coaxial endorsements opens up carrier and data centre work, which is where the better rates are.
The median salary rose by $17,000 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than data cabler
The largest typical pay rise is $33,300 a year, moving into Electrician.
- Electrician+$33,300/yr
- Telecommunications Technologist+$15,600/yr
- Telecommunications Technician+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher data cabler salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time data cabler salary is $80,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Data Cablers 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 Installation and maintenance and Reading plans and specifications tend to command a premium over general data cabler experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Electrician pays a typical $33,300 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."
Data Cabler salary questions
How much do data cablers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a data cabler is $80,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is data cabler pay rising or falling?
The median data cabler salary is up $17,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than data cabler?
Electrician pays a typical $33,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to data cabler.
Related salaries
- Telecommunications Technician salary
- Telecommunications Cable Jointer salary
- Electrician salary
- Telecommunications Technologist salary
- Electrical Trades Assistant salary
- Telecommunications Linesworker salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.