No matter how you are ‘done’ with high school – be it choosing to leave early or having just completed year 12 – learning a Trade and getting into building and construction could be one of the best decisions you ever make.

Unlike many careers, you can learn a Trade on-the-job. Yes, that’s right you can start working and gain your skills while you’re earning. While our schooling system pushes for students to go to university, we know (and have shown in our previous blog’s) that vocational training is equally rewarding.

Starting from the ground up (no pun intended) Tradies have many options throughout their career to boost their income or jump across into different skill sets. Many either start their own business or become supervisors and even work on large scale Tier 1 projects. Bottom line – working as a Tradie – there really are no limitations on where you could end up!

How to start a career as a Tradie

Australia needs more builders, landscapers, carpenters, and concreters – like you – who will stand the test of time because they’re bloody good at what they do (and look good in boots)!

If you’re ready to be part of something bigger? Looking for a challenge, and like to get in and amongst the action? You won’t be disappointed. The Building and construction industry is hands-on, fast-paced and where you’ll find some of your greatest mates. There is no shortage of opportunity; start out in a Trade and work your way to the top.

Choosing the right course for you is a decision that you, and you alone, need to make. Researching, asking questions and getting advice will all form part of your decision but, ultimately the decision is yours.

We find many Learners like to start in a specific Trade like carpentry, landscaping, concreting, and painting or tiling, however, there is also a Building and Construction course that covers the fundamentals of working in the industry.

Let’s talk about the Money.

The age old question, how much do tradies really earn?

Some say that the average Tradie income sits very close to the national average^[i] of $85,800 per year^[ii].  News reports suggest mature age Tradies can earn well over $100,000^[iii] a year while others have reported hourly rates of $85.57 and $77.59^[iv].

Battling through what is a true representation of an Aussie Tradie’s pay-check is harder than it seems. However, Job Outlook, a government guide to Australian careers, does have some more reliable information.

Table 1: Building and Construction industry roles, estimated pay, growth, and skill requirements[v]

Trade	Estimated Weekly Pay*[vi]	Predicted growth[vii]	Skill Requirement[viii]
Bricklayers and Stonemasons	$1200	Stable	Entry Level
Building and Plumbing Labourers	$1100	Strong	Entry Level
Carpenters and Joiners	$1000	Moderate	Medium
Concreters	$1290	Strong	Entry Level
Construction Managers	$1719	Strong	Very High Level
Earthmoving Plant Operators	$1489	Decline	Low Level
Gardeners	$951	Strong	Medium
Painting Trades Workers	$1000	Moderate	Medium
Wall and floor tilers	$1000	Stable	Medium

 

* Earnings are for full-time workers before taxes, excluding superannuation. Earnings are a guide only and can vary greatly.

 

Thank you. Next.

So you’ve completed your first qualification, what’s next? We get this question quite a lot and there are many answers.

You could look into getting a Trade licence

You could work your way up to a Supervisor level

You could broaden your skill set

You could move across into civil construction

The sky is the limit with this industry. Why not take a chance and get started?

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[i] https://www.traderisk.com.au/how-much-do-tradies-earn

[ii] http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6302.0

[iii] https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/revealed-how-many-tradies-are-earning-100k-and-how-old-they-are/news-story/902072680a1ddef873ab06b9250f555e

[iv] https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/plumbers-and-electricians-top-australias-tradie-rich-list/news-story/6a20a3de0fec587aedeced9b52fe71e5

[v] https://joboutlook.gov.au/IndustrySpecific.aspx?search=Industry&Industry=E

[vi] https://joboutlook.gov.au/IndustrySpecific.aspx?search=Industry&Industry=E

[vii] https://joboutlook.gov.au/IndustrySpecific.aspx?search=Industry&Industry=E

[viii] https://joboutlook.gov.au/IndustrySpecific.aspx?search=Industry&Industry=E