According to reports, Melbourne tradies are among some of the best paid in the world.
If you're looking for a new job and aren't sure where to start, why not head down under and work in construction?
Before you argue that it's too hot to be doing heavy labour in Australia, wait until you hear their hourly rate.
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It honestly makes OnlyFans rates look pretty reasonable.
So, just how much are Melbourne tradies paid?
Well, take the national minimum wage in the UK for 18-20-year-olds (£6.83) and times it by 100, and you're about there.
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Yep, that's right, Aussie tradies are paid $124 per hour, which converts to about £71.
It works out to about $243,000 (£139,000) a year, as reported by the Herald Sun.
Right about now we're thinking a gap year in Australia might be worth more than we realised.
Honestly, we're glad that the construction workers are being well paid, but if you're wondering why their hourly rate is so high, you're not alone.
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The Turner and Townsend report on the sector found that the increased labour cost was due to 'the loss of skilled migration during 2020-21 had a considerable impact on the availability of construction labour in these markets, which has subsequently pushed up labour costs, making it the second most expensive region for construction labour.'
And despite the industry facing setbacks due to Covid, large in part construction remained strong across global markets: "Despite the industry facing tough conditions, construction activity continues to strengthen across global markets. 38.6 percent of markets surveyed were classified as ‘hot’ or ‘overheating’."
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Something else that could also account for the decent hourly rate is that it's fairly cheap to build in Melbourne when compared to other cities.
As the report goes on to note: "Our top ten most expensive markets in which to build for 2022 also include Hong Kong, New York, London, and Geneva.
"Average construction costs to build key assets have increased in almost every region."
San Francisco secured the top spot as the most expensive place to build in the world.
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Meanwhile, Melbourne isn't even in the top ten.
Still just because wages are high, doesn't mean that the industry isn't facing challenges.
Namely, a post-pandemic surge in demand: "The past 12 months have seen the post-pandemic recovery gathering momentum – but warning signs are now appearing.
"Constrained supply coupled with surging demand means inflation is soaring in many markets, creating a challenging economic backdrop for the construction sector."
So, basically, if you are after well-paid work, and lots of it, become a tradie in Melbourne.
Topics: Australia, News, World News, Money