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Hydrographer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a hydrographer is $101,400 per annum, before tax, up $21,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on the employer: state water agencies and hydro-electricity operators set rates under public sector agreements, while consultancies vary with the size of the firm and the amount of remote fieldwork involved.
- Field allowances, flood roster or on-call payments and a move into a senior technical or supervisory classification are the main things that lift a hydrographer's pay.
- Location matters less than the employer, though remote postings usually come with additional allowances.
The median salary rose by $21,400 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 hydrographer
The largest typical pay rise is $50,100 a year, moving into Hydrogeologist.
- Hydrogeologist+$50,100/yr
- Hydrologist+$5,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher hydrographer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time hydrographer salary is $101,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Field research and sampling and Data analysis tend to command a premium over general hydrographer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Hydrogeologist pays a typical $50,100 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."
Hydrographer salary questions
How much do hydrographers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a hydrographer is $101,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is hydrographer pay rising or falling?
The median hydrographer salary is up $21,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than hydrographer?
Hydrogeologist pays a typical $50,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to hydrographer.
Related salaries
- Hydrologist salary
- Hydrogeologist salary
- Geology Technician salary
- GIS Analyst salary
- Cartographer salary
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ranger 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.