Tradie earning $150,000 a year for gig you can ‘learn on the job’

A Gold Coast tradie has revealed how he is making six figures a year and why he recommends other young Aussies get into the lucrative job too. Australia is facing a massive trade shortage, with the country needing tens of thousands more workers to meet housing targets.

The man was stopped on site while on smoko and revealed he was earning roughly $150,000 per year as an indoor plasterer. He said he got into the job after doing an apprenticeship but revealed others could get into the gig without prior training.

“I did an apprenticeship which is about four years. [But] you can learn on the job and get routine prior learning,” he told jobs app Getahead.

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The tradie said he enjoyed his job as a plasterer and said it offered him enough time to spend with his kids and enjoy work-life balance.

“Like any job, it has its days. But I mean, at the end of the day, for the hours you work it’s sort of good because you finish at a decent time in the afternoon, you still get to spend time with the kids,” he said.

“I do like my job. I do suggest for young kids to get into it because there is a bit of a shortage of trades at the moment.”

Are you a tradie with a story to share? Contact tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com

Tradies continue to be a male-dominated industry but the Gold Coast man said there were more female plasterers now too.

“There’s a lot more girls these days in the industry, which is good to see and to be honest they do give boys a run for their money. Us boys just don’t like saying that,” he shared.

Females make up just 3 per cent of tradies in Australia, according to Empowered Women In Trades, with some trades like plumbing and welding having only 1 per cent female representation.

How much do plasterers get paid in Australia?

The average salary of a plasterer in Australia is between $60,000 and $80,000, according to jobs platform SEEK. That’s based on salary data from jobs listed in the last six months.

Entry-level positions can start at around $63,375 per year, while more experienced workers can earn around $94,848 on average, according to Talent data.

Aussies were surprised that the tradie was bringing in a much bigger wage than average, with some questioning if he owned his own business or was putting in long hours.

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