Do you enjoy your job? How much do you earn? How are you limited by the current market?

[drmoses]

@brojoeandsarah My pack is more 60% base and 40% bonus. Then again, it depends on the size of the bonus.

 

[livingreality]

@defender211 Do I enjoy my job? I am content with the work I do, rather than enjoying it, and it is relatively easy most of the time. The flexibility is what keeps me here, I work from home permanently. Corporate injury management.

How much do I earn? About 112k, 117k inclusive of bonus which is pretty consistent.

Am I limited by the current market? Yes. I've pretty much maxed out my earning capacity. I'm paid above market rate, however I'm very good at what I do and highly qualified/experienced, however this also traps me a bit as if I wish to leave it would result in me having to take a 10-15k pay cut. Everything else I've seen advertised that isn't management level is in the range of 95-105k. In order to get into the field it is preferred you have an allied health degree, and I blame the low cap in wages on how shitty Allied Health Professional wages are. Personally I find it ridiculous that a colleague of mine, in the same department as a health and safety adviser, has done a cert 3 in OHS and with a year or two experience can walk into a 140k base plus bonus job, however I have a masters degree in rehabilitation, significantly more experience, yet my cap is significantly lower. Internal growth is also limited due to the niche field, the only step up for me is my manager's job, and they are mid 40s, have been with the company for 15 years and don't intend leaving until retirement age.

 

[geoffreyatkinson]

@livingreality

Personally I find it ridiculous that a colleague of mine, in the same department as a health and safety adviser, has done a cert 3 in OHS and with a year or two experience can walk into a 140k base plus bonus job

I suspect (so correct me if I'm wrong) but this is so they can compete with the primary industries sectors (mainly mining) where health and safety advisors do get paid that level or more.

 

[livingreality]

@geoffreyatkinson I believe you are correct. Mining and construction OHS advisers are paid ridiculously and everyone seems to be trying to keep up, irrespective of the low educational and experience requirements of the position itself.

 

[homeowner]

@defender211 I work in software sales

It's... OK. My purpose seems to be to make really rich people richer basically, whilst skimming some off the top for myself

I'm at the top earnings wise, and will just keep doing this until there's enough in the kitty to retire.

 

[thebestofthreesixteen]

@homeowner How’s the work life balance? Is it super stressful with the constant pressure to hit targets?

 

[homeowner]

@thebestofthreesixteen The pressure is always there but you get used to it.

Work life balance is like anything I guess, comes and goes in waves depending on what I've got on

 

[strip64]

@defender211 I'm a hospitality professional, been for 10 years. I had to BEG for 65k and I have 2 specialisation (equivalent to 4 years of study from abroad)

My partner has a degree, works in banking and struggles to get 70k.

Please if you hear anyone saying they want to go with the hospitality industry as a career, slap them for me, ill be a lot less painful in the long run.

I'm in my 30s and going back to uni.

Wealth inequality is a subject that should be talked about much more in Australia. The entitlement and blindness of some people baffles me.

 

[resjudicata]

@defender211 Everyone on here are software engineers earning $250k min.

 

[lordyu]

@defender211 37m earning 58k, detailer and auditor in the electrical industry, really dislike my job, stress levels through the roof. No real career growth without changing into a more stressful role.

Pay rises are off the cards as our field is a race to the bottom with competing companies constantly undercutting each other to land contracts so the only way to get by is through mass volume of work. (I had to work through christmas the last 2 years)

I'm stuck as I don't have any other qualifications and no real idea what I would be happy doing.

 

[defender211]

@lordyu Do you like drawing on the computer? Maybe take up a drafting diploma part time? Wishing you all the best

 

[lordyu]

@defender211 Hi, I appreciate the well wishes, drafting is already a big part of the work I already do as we have to draft up the electrical assets we pick up on site. I don't have a particular affinity for it though.

 

[theislandpoet]

@defender211 Software engineer, remote, I LOVE what I do, have had a passion for it since I was a kid. Mid 6 digits depending on share price.

Still hard to believe I get paid to do this.

Update: 34M, 11 YoE

 

[resjudicata]

@theislandpoet Revenge of the nerds

 

[rada1]

@defender211 From my experience and my social circles, the following is not true for Melbourne and Sydney:

• Oversaturation of engineers in the current market
• The pay ceiling is pretty low for the private industry as a standard worker, with engineers having 15+ years experience capping out at 140k AUD

Specifically transport infrastructure, the pipeline is through the roof. Everyone's poaching from each other, recuiters constantly inmailing on linkedin and grads fresh off their program pulling in near the 100k mark.