A young Australian who earns as much as $165,000 a year as an electrician in the mines has revealed the problem with the job.
The FIFO tradie from Brisbane started in the industry ‘fresh out of school’ at the age of 17 and was the only woman there at the time.
Although the salary sounds attractive, the young blonde sometimes described the job as “tough” and said she feels chained to “golden handcuffs.”
The term is used to describe when employees get used to the high salary and lifestyle, making it difficult or possibly impossible to return to earning less.
She shared the details of her impressive salary after she was stopped on the street for a job interview via the jobs app Go forward.
‘I got a job in the mines in North Queensland. From there I’m just a normal electrician, but I work in the mines,” she said in a now-viral video.
‘It looks a bit like golden handcuffs. Once you’re attracted to that money, it’s hard to get out.”
The tradie works seven 12.5-hour days and then has seven days off before the two-week rotation begins again.
When she first started in the industry, she was the only woman in the department, which was a challenge, but now the numbers have increased.
The FIFO tradie from Brisbane started in the industry ‘fresh out of school’ at the age of 17 and was the only woman there at the time. Although the salary sounds attractive, the young blonde sometimes described the job as ‘tough’ and talked about how she feels chained by ‘golden handcuffs’.
‘I got a job in the mines in North Queensland. From there I’m just a normal electrician, but I work in the mines,” she said in a now-viral video. ‘It looks a bit like golden handcuffs. Once you’re attracted to that money, it’s hard to leave.”
‘You learn a lot, especially because you are so young and vulnerable. But there are more [women] is coming and it’s really good to see,” she said.
According to Seek, the average annual salary for electrician jobs in Australia ranges from $90,000 to $100,000.
However, the number increases dramatically to a minimum of $150,000 for electricians working in the mines.
The short video quickly racked up more than 1.5 million views and thousands were impressed.
‘Very interesting! I never knew there would be a career as an electrician in the mines. I enjoyed learning about her experiences,” one person wrote.
‘Really good for her! She’s doing great and making money,” another commented.
“€165,000 a year sounds good, some even higher depending on experience,” said a third.
‘The profession is what matters, I went to university to do engineering and dropped out to become a plumber. At 22 I can afford a house,” wrote another.
Someone else said: ‘Super proud of her, what a pioneer for young women wanting to become electricians.’
However, another claimed that $165,000 is still not enough to live a decent life in Australia due to the cost of living.
Last month, a trader said he is struggling financially despite making $160,000 a year after taxes.
Last month, a tradie said he’s struggling financially despite making $160,000 a year after taxes
The Brisbane concrete worker made the candid confession after he was stopped on the street by the jobs app GetAhead, which asks people about their work and salary.
He explained that he earned between $2,500 and $3,000 a week after working ten and a half hours a day, five days a week.
He can earn an extra $200 if he puts in another six to eight hours on Saturdays.
“I’m working to survive right now,” he said.
“I wish I could win the lotto or something. This is OK for now,” he said.
The concrete worker’s experience exposes the depths of the country’s cost of living crisis, which has put financial pressure on people even though they earn well above the national average.
Inflation is currently at 2.7 percent, while cash rates are at 4.35 percent – the highest level in twelve years – creating mortgage stress for millions of households.