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.
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.
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.
- Use demand as leverage. Waterproofers are on the skills shortage list for metropolitan 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 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.