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Underground Services Locator salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an underground services locator is $93,600 per annum, before tax, up $19,500 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on who you work for, since utilities, mining and local government roles generally pay more than small locating subcontractors, and enterprise agreements set rates on larger projects.
- Regional and remote work often attracts allowances, and overtime or shift work adds to the base on some sites.
- Because accuracy carries real liability, locators who handle complex jobs, ground penetrating radar work and supervision tend to move up the range.
The median salary rose by $19,500 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 underground services locator
The largest typical pay rise is $26,000 a year, moving into Surveyor.
- Surveyor+$26,000/yr
- Building Inspector+$25,000/yr
- Gas Network Technician+$7,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher underground services locator salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time underground services locator salary is $93,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Underground Services Locators are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, 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 Reading plans and specifications and Worksite safety management tend to command a premium over general underground services locator experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Surveyor pays a typical $26,000 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."
Underground Services Locator salary questions
How much do underground services locators earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an underground services locator is $93,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is underground services locator pay rising or falling?
The median underground services locator salary is up $19,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than underground services locator?
Surveyor pays a typical $26,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to underground services locator.
Related salaries
- Gas Network Technician salary
- Building Inspector salary
- Data Cabler salary
- Surveying Technician salary
- Surveyor salary
- Survey Assistant 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.