FIFO tradie earning $165,000 shares major issue with six-figure salary: 'Golden handcuffs'

A young FIFO tradie has revealed the major downside to her lucrative six-figure job. Aussies are often lured to the mines on the promise of making buckets of cash but this can present a problem when deciding when to return home.

The Brisbane woman revealed she was earning $165,000 a year as a fly-in fly-out electrician, with seven days on and seven days off working 12.5-hour shifts. She shared she had been working in the mines in North Queensland since she was “fresh out of school” at 17.

The woman explained the high wages offered by FIFO work meant it can be challenging for workers to finally give up the job and work closer to home on a lower salary.

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“It’s a bit tough with mining. It’s sort of like the golden handcuffs in the way. Once you get attracted to that money, it’s kind of hard to leave,” she explained to jobs app Getahead.

Fellow FIFO electrician Keanu Hunt told Yahoo Finance he had been working in the mines for six years and agreed it was incredibly difficult to give up the huge wages on offer.

"Everybody sees the money, and then you make the money and everything's all good," he said.

"But once you're there, it's hard to come back."

Hunt said he was earning twice as much in the mines than he would as a sparky at home, but he was doing 12-hour days rather than eight-hour shifts.

“I'm always looking to see what the wages are back [home] and then you look and you just think, 'How do people even live off this money in this day and age?'” he said.

The average electrician can earn between $90,000 and $110,000 a year, according to SEEK. However, job site Talent revealed entry-level FIFO sparkies can start on $117,000 per year and work up to nearly $160,000 a year on average.

Number of women working in the mines on the rise

The Brisbane woman shared there were more women working in the mines now than when she was a teen, which she said was a positive sign.

“There were not any when I first started when I was 17, which was a bit tough. You learn a lot, especially being so young and vulnerable,” she said.

“But there are a lot more coming and so it’s really good to see.”

The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found there were 45,000 women in the industry in 2022, compared to 8,700 in 2002, and now make up a little more than 20 per cent of the full-time workforce.

A number of Aussies praised the Brisbane woman in the video’s comments.

“Honestly good for her!! She is doing amazing and making bank,” one said.

“Super proud of her - what a trailblazer for young women who want to be electricians,” another added.

“Good for her! The trades are where it’s at. My husband is an electrician and it’s done our family so well,” a third wrote.

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