FIFO worker reveals his insane weekly salary

A fly-in-fly-out worker has broken down the ridiculous amount of money he has been able to make working in the mines in Australia.

Cal McIlwaine, an Irishman on a working holiday visa, has saved $45,000 in four and a half months since getting a job in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Mr McIlwaine admitted there were many downsides to his job, such as isolation, but ultimately decided it was worth it given the amount of money he could make.

He identified one major drawback, revealing that employees typically worked more than double the average working hours in a week, indicating that the job is not for the faint of heart.

He was able to save more than $45,000 at work in four and a half months, not including the money he spends during his off weeks

As a rookie, Mr. McIlwaine was initially paid a starting salary of $33.50 per hour. Mr Mcilwaine said this was easy to save as companies provide meals and accommodation for employees during their stay.

'It's clearly very hard, you work long hours, it's dirty work in the heat. But you also get paid a lot,” he said in one TikTok.

Mr McIlwaine revealed he gets $3,470 for the first week because he spends Monday traveling to the Pilbara and $3,944 for the second and third weeks because he can work every day, meaning Monday alone is worth $474.

Employees are paid differently depending on whether they are permanent or contractual, and whether they have a fixed rate or an hourly rate.

An hourly rate offers employees penalties such as double pay on Sundays, while a flat rate only pays them a flat $60 per hour, with no penalties.

In the mines, workers are given the opportunity to work more hours than is usual in other full-time jobs, increasing their income.

'Here you really only get the opportunity to work a lot of hours. I work 84 hours a week, but someone who works full time from home does 37 hours,” Mr McIlwaine said.

“So I basically work here for two weeks in one week.”

He said he earns what a doctor in Ireland would earn.

“If you want to earn $2,000 a week at home, you have to be a doctor, nurse or vet, while here anyone can do it,” he said.

“Just buy your tickets and somehow get your foot in the door and just slog it out.”

Mr McIlwaine also broke down different pay scales and earnings for other expats looking to move to Australia to take advantage of the grueling work.

FIFO work involves miners flying to a remote location and working full-time for three weeks before leaving again for a week's break.

Mr McIlwaine said that although the work is extremely difficult, it is absolutely worth it for the opportunity to make a lot of money in a short time (Picture: The Pilbara Region)

Because the work is remote, there isn't much to spend money on in the mines, which Mr McIlwaine says makes it all the easier to save every penny.

Unless someone smokes or drinks, Mr McIlwaine said it is easy to avoid spending money throughout the stay.

“The problem with FIFO is you don't spend money on accommodation, you don't spend money on food, you don't spend money on anything… except smoking,” he said.

“You can literally come here and spend zero dollars.

“That $3,944 is equivalent to about £2,000, and £2,000 a week is bloody mental because you'd have to work from home for five weeks to earn that,” he said.

Because Mr McIlwaine has a working holiday visa, he pays less tax than an Australian, which would impact visible income.

People on a working holiday visa can earn up to $45,000 before moving to the next tax bracket.

When he first started working, Mr McIlwaine was taxed 15 per cent on all income, but since he moved up to the next bracket he has had to pay 32.5 per cent.

“I've seen a dramatic drop in my last paycheck, which is a bit sad, but I've been enjoying it so far,” he continued.

Mr McIlwaine first started documenting his FIFO journey in early September, after two months on the job.

After uploading his first photos from the Pilbara region, he said dozens of friends have asked for advice on whether they should follow in his footsteps.

Although the work is tough and the heat unbearable, Mr McIlwaine said if people had the chance to give it a try they should just 'suck it up'.

“If you want to come along and take a few swings and do it for a few months, you can make a decent living, so it's definitely lucrative and I'm glad I did it,” he said.

“You just have to weigh what you value and are you willing to embrace the sock for a while to make things fruitful and be able to squander all your hard-earned money in the future.”