A young mother has sparked a heated debate over wage growth after revealing she was ‘doing nothing’ on $60,000 a year.
Financial influencer Alice Raspin, 28, declared that wages that don’t match inflation will be ‘out’ by 2025 and urged others to reevaluate their value.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the consumer price index rose 3.8 per cent and the wage price index rose 4.1 per cent in the period to June 2024, meaning real wage growth was just 0.3 per cent.
Many Aussies are struggling to keep their heads above water amid the cost of living crisis, with Ms Raspin saying the once average wage is no longer sustainable.
“Sorry, but I don’t do anything for $60,000 a year,” she said in a TikTok video on Monday.
‘As a 28-year-old living in a capital with one child, I have rent and are saving for a house.
“How do people expect to compensate someone for 75 hours every two weeks for $60,000?
‘What bills do I pay with that?’
Financial influencer Alice Raspin (pictured) urged her followers to reevaluate their wages in 2025
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows real wage growth was 0.3 percent in the period to June 2024
Ms. Raspin added that any company offering a $60,000 full-time job by 2025 is “dreaming.”
“I don’t care how much you make, if it’s less than $60,000 a year, get a new job,” she said.
She admitted in the comments that she has no tertiary qualifications but has worked full-time for the past ten years.
Ms Raspin told Daily Mail Australia that while a five-figure salary might work for younger people with fewer commitments, she, like many others, cannot afford to be paid less.
“I think $65,000 is appropriate if you live with friends or at home and have no children while you save to buy a house or travel,” she said.
“But if you’re 28, have a child and live away from home, nothing less than $70,000 will do.”
Many viewers agreed that $60,000 is not enough to live on in a big city.
“I’m so over wages not matching the cost of living,” one person wrote.
Another added: “I just turned down a government position for $50,000.”
A third wrote: ‘I can’t get out of bed on less than $100,000 a year.
Another added: “$125,000 is the new $65,000.”
One viewer who earned $60,000 a year revealed they were struggling to make ends meet and were only left with $100 every two weeks.
Ms Raspin (pictured) said while $60,000 is suitable for some Aussies, it is unsustainable for urban families
However, some viewers disagreed with Ms. Raspin.
“When you need work, you take what you can get until a better opportunity presents itself,” one person noted.
Another added: ‘We all started somewhere – most tradies start their careers making 30,000 a year.’
A third wrote: ‘Kids these days are absolutely clueless.’
Others said it depended on the job, qualifications and experience.