New stats have revealed that some tradies on site are raking in a whopping four times what the average Aussie earns every year.
It’s no surprise that over 100,000 Aussies have flocked to pick up the tools and make bank with a career in construction in 2024.
Good job security? Check. Get paid to learn? Check. Dodge paying back the 78 billion dollars of debt racked up by uni students? Double check.
But the real draw card pulling Aussies in is the prospect of making bank, and according to fresh figures from employment company SEEK, construction jobs are definitely making good on that promise.
Some of the most in-demand positions in the industry have salaries well over $100,000 per year, with managers and FIFO workers topping the list despite their lack of a higher education.
In 2024, construction managers in charge of operations on building projects comfortably sat in the top spot, taking home between $190,000 to $210,000 on average per year.
The next highest paying job is a site manager, who earns on average between $130,000 to $150,000 a year for making sure building projects meet their contractual requirements.
Miners round out the top three highest-paying trades jobs, earning between $120,000 to $140,000 a year, with the trade-off being the disruptive fly-in-fly-out lifestyle.
According to SEEK, tradies looking to make a decent buck on the tools should keep looking at the mining industry as it “continues to offer job security and high earning potential for workers”.
But with seven out of the top ten tradie jobs bringing in over $100k every year (without the help of overtime or union benefits mind you), spending time anywhere on-site looks like it’s worth your while.
“Trades are one of the most in-demand job sectors in Australia, offering plenty of options across the country,” SEEK said.
“An increased need for infrastructure, a continued focus on mining, and ongoing development in urban centres is fuelling this demand.”
The highest paid tradie jobs in Australia
Construction manager – $190,000 to $210,000 per year
Site manager – $130,000 to $150,000 a year
Miner – $120,000 to $140,000 a year
Boilermaker – $115,000 to $135,000 a year
Rigger – $95,000 to $115,000 a year
Electrician – $90,000 to $110,000 a year
Jeweller – $75,000 to $100,000 a year
Plumber – $75,000 to $95,000 a year
Welder – 75,000 to $85,000 a year
Carpenter – $65,000 to $85,000 a year
How much does the average Aussie earn?
Looking at the figures, basically any qualified tradie is sure to bring home more than the average Aussie.
According to the most recent analysis of 2021-2022 income statistics by the Australian Tax Office (ATO), the average income sits around $72,000 a year, with that number far lower for the average early 20’s apprentice-aged Aussie.
Stripping out very high and low earners, the median Aussie income drops down to a measly $53,041.
Outside of the trades, the most lucrative professions on offer are those in the medical field but these require a costly university degree and run up almost double the amount of time it would take to complete an apprenticeship.
In 2024, surgeons were the highest-paying job across the board, earning an average of $460,356 per year, followed by anaesthetists earning $431,193.
Coal miners also made the list in fourth place, earning an average of $130,033 per year.
