kevinbloomfield

Not much is mentioned on here about the crappy wages in Australia. Now I'm not sure if it's the whole of OZ or just the Sunshine Coast?
A normal job up here may pay $40,000 a year, not a great deal. Also a very high percentage of jobs are casual and/or part time.

A word of warning to anyone coming to the Sunshine Coast - don't expect high wages or job security - it just wont happen

Any comments?

Vim Fuego

Had my pay matched from the UK on contract then made permanent on the same rate, no complaints.

<this post rated 8.7 on the smugometer>

Sleeping Beauty

nope, happening in NSW too
although my B-I-L has struck lucky, my O/H and myself are paid bobbins wages.

Bix

I know what you mean Kev but the work culture is not the same as in the UK.
The casual / part time ethos is what people have grown up with here and job security means less to the individual.

You are right it will surprise many, but because it will be new to them.

The money factor is a difficult one though as it:
Depends on the type of work.
Depends on the cost of living.
Depends on personal expenditure.

From my experience there are a heap more free things to do in Aus and that as much as anything is due to the better weather.

You can't really isolate what wage is earnt without considering the whole life package and weighing up whether it's a good deal for me.....and that is extremely difficult to do.

Will a lifestyle change ? Will that mean cheaper or more expensive ? It's a conundrum.

I think the job security thing is a vanishing commodity throughout "Western" lifestyles.

Bloody good post mate. I can see this topic running.

Sandra

Six years working for non comparable anywhere wages, I am now travelling to earn my world worth.

if you want status and recognition in trades other than mining and boom bits forget it. In the main Please move to Aus for personal not salary reasons.

rabsody

In my view, setting up your own business or becoming a consultant of some kind are the ways to go to earn the good money. Everything else is fairly poxy in terms of pay. (My OH is in IT and has done both, so this may flavour my opinion).

The attitude towards job security is definitely something to get used to when you first get here - lots of casual positions - and that overtime is "expected" and you are not paid for it. Unless you are in government, forget it, and I believe even they are now frequently using short term contracts instead of recruiting as permanent positions.

Australia has the longest working week in OECD behind Japan http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s330274.htm. It will be interesting to see what happens with Workchoices when (if?) Rudd gets in.

kevinbloomfield

I was working for someone and the wages were poor, they also expected after hours training to be taken unpaid (and none of the others even questioned it). It seems that most aussies live week to week, if they don't get paid at the end of the week then they are in shit street.
I'm not too bothered as I've now setup my own IT business so I don't have to worry about poor wages, limited sick pay, told not to come to work if there's nothing to do (unpaid of course).
It's just never discussed on this forum and I'm sure there's lots of people on their way thinking they'll get the same jobs for the same money they had in the UK.

I know the lifestyle is the reason most people come to OZ, without the money to live it though I reckon it could easily go pear shaped

esperanza

I did temping work in UK just before we left, and in Australia just after we got here. I got paid more in Australia for exactly the same sort of work & contract.
Now I do an administration job, and get paid about the same as when I began teaching in the UK a few years ago. Except that I needed 4 years of uni to teach, whereas the job I do now requires little more than memory & organisation, with a few people skills thrown in. Plus now I have much less responsibility, I can pick & choose my holidays, I can arrive late/leave early when I need to, I get to have a lunch break, I am never expected to work evenings or weekends.... Oh and my rent is less, so is my petrol - both of which used to eat up half my UK salary.

So for me, wages are better here and outgoings are less - and I am on a permanent contract.

billywetpants

Being poorly paid in the UK is a benefit when coming to Australia

NickyC

Sunshine Coast - it's famous for its low-paid jobs.

You live in a scenic area with a great climate plus affordable housing. There's got to be a down-side - and it's either no jobs or jobs with crap pay.

Pollyana

After four years I now have some kind of job satisfaction - not perfect, but makes me go to work with a smile on my face and feel I'm doing something worthwhile. I also now that a large element of the management seem to have realised that I am actually capable of doing more than shuffling paperclips.

However, the wages are nowhere near what I would expect in the UK for this kind of job; and for the responsibility Statewide that I now have for one week in seven, the bonus is crazy - approx $100 for being on call for 24 hours a day for a 7 day period. I do it for the job satisfaction, people think I'm mad when I say the money doesn't matter, but when it's that small a bonus, it can't matter, and that's not why I do it.

Some people take crap wages but have a "lifestyle". My wages are fairly crap, and we don't have a "lifestyle" but I love my job. I wouldn't want to have a family on these wages though - $35,000 a year. You make the choice, and you have to take the wages that go with it - just don't come here expecting the streets to be paved with gold.

sammyg

We arn't in Qld yet but we are preparing ourselves for the almighty wage drop. For us though, money isn't the motivation...we'd be staying put if it was.

FluffyTheCampfireSlayer

Just my two penneth worth....In my experience, it all depends on the type of work you do. Some jobs (generally ones that require you to have a brain cell or two) pay very similar rates to the UK.

My other half has secured a job with QLD Health, (not nursing). Whilst she has had to take a very slight reduction in pay, her lack of experience in this particular role justifys this. She hopes to be on the same level as the UK in a couple of years time.

The jobs I am currently applying for (sales roles) also appear to pay very similarly to the UK, with all the benefits that go with this type of role.

CaptainMerton

I have been considering moving to Sydney to work in IT. The salaries don't appear much different to the UK (outside of London). But then I guess all the big money is in Sydney and Melbourne.

jad n rich

Plenty of things that should be discussed on this forum are not, because its not what people want to hear, and often the reaction to reality is not good.

Wages on sunshine coast are low, very low as its a very expensive place to live. Yep wages are around $40,000 and not much in the way of a house under $450,000 now. Yet time and time again you read people say their kids will have a better future here...... wont be able to buy in UK etc, yet in reality probably less chance with OZ wage/house ratios.

There is a constant and never ending infulux of migrants to areas like this, interstate and overseas. Employers know it. Go into any real estate agent and migrants are being blamed for the ridiculous wage/house price ratio. More people than jobs/houses.

But the casual workforce and workplace reform are australia wide, not just SC GC Cairns etc. And its not a new thing it was like that here in 2000 too.

Yes many people live week to week, eg the blokes we see in construction, yet someone posts whats the job situation like? and people will always go no worries mate, loads of housin going up, no mention of crap wages, insecure hours, driving up to 3 hours a day for work and a mass of applicants for every job, same in many places. Like the brickie threads, no worries mate 1000 a day, erm right then some brave soul who lives here tells the truth, 280a day when the employer needs you, and if he dont hard luck.

Not just sunshine coast at all, many many areas like this. Yes if you move to a city wages might be better but like pollyanna says, shes in the city, not that much better and still expensive. Places to make money are probably outback, mines and sydney. Cost of living in those places is even higher than here.

Australias not a cheap place to live, it was, but not now. Work conditions are harsh, got worse with workplace reform and are magnified in many places like this where there are more people than jobs.