Home Waterproofer Salary
Waterproofer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a waterproofer is $84,200 per annum, before tax, up $17,800 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- A lot of waterproofers work as subcontractors, so what you take home depends on how you price jobs and whether you carry your own insurance, materials and travel.
- On wages, pay follows the building and construction award or an enterprise agreement, and commercial and below-ground work generally pays better than small residential bathrooms.
- Holding the licence or registration your state requires, and being signed off on the major membrane systems, both push rates up.
The median salary rose by $17,800 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 waterproofer
The largest typical pay rise is $30,700 a year, moving into Concreter.
- Concreter+$30,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher waterproofer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time waterproofer salary is $84,200; 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 Installation and maintenance and Building codes and standards tend to command a premium over general waterproofer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Concreter pays a typical $30,700 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."
Waterproofer salary questions
How much do waterproofers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a waterproofer is $84,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is waterproofer pay rising or falling?
The median waterproofer salary is up $17,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than waterproofer?
Concreter pays a typical $30,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to waterproofer.
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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.