The Hidden Cost of $85/Hour: A Tradie's Brutally Honest Take on FIFO Mining Jobs

The Reality Behind High-Paying FIFO Jobs

Not all jobs are as good as they may appear from the outside. That's the candid admission from one FIFO worker who has revealed the worst part of his chosen profession.

Toiling away in the mining industry as a fly-in, fly-out tradesperson is often considered a lucrative role – and a good way to save up plenty of cash in a short time. But it's not always a case of being shackled by the proverbial "golden handcuffs."

When stopped in the street by employment app GetAhead, which has gone viral on social media for asking people about how much money they make, the FIFO worker didn't mince his words when questioned about his job.

A tradie who works as a fitter and turner in the mines says the better pay comes at a real lifestyle cost. (Source: TikTok/GetAhead)

"Is it as good as what people say?" he was asked.

"Nah, it's s**t," he simply replied.

He works as a fitter and turner which is a mechanical engineering tradesperson who specialises in working with metal and heavy machinery. Their primary responsibility on a mine site is often to keep multi-million-dollar equipment running.

The man admitted he "makes a bit" and does it because he earns a much better rate on site than he would in normal circumstances. But that comes with long days and less than ideal living circumstances.

"The only reason you get more is because you're doing 84 hour weeks," he said.

"You've got to live with a bunch of divorcees, the food is s**t, the place you stay is alright because it's got aircon, [but] you gotta wear thongs in the shower."

When asked why he still does it, he admitted it's simply because it offers about double the pay compared to a regular fitter and turner job.

When asked about an hourly rate of comparison, he said he would make about $40 an hour in a normal role and can get $75 to $85 on site in the mines.

At that rate, and doing 84 hour weeks, he would be making about $6,700 a week. On a week on, week off roster schedule, that equates to about $174,000 a year before tax.

According to jobs platform Seek, the typical salary for a fitter and turner is about $88,000. There are currently more than 8,240 job opportunities on the platform for an experienced fitter and turner, with projected growth in that number over the next five years.

A relevant vocational qualification, often completed as part of an apprenticeship, is usually required to get into the profession.