Highest Paying Blue Collar Jobs List: Which Tradie Careers Have the Brightest Future?

Australia is thriving and growing. This means plenty of skilled and eager tradies are needed across the board. If you’re looking to make your move into a rewarding trade, here are some of the high-paying blue-collar roles you might want to consider.

Blue-collar jobs are typically defined as manual labour jobs. While sometimes painted as a field that requires less skill, blue-collar jobs definitely shouldn’t be underestimated. Today, they’re some of the most rewarding roles out there! Plus, plenty of blue-collar jobs actually require a high level of technical skill, which you can pick up through a short course or two.

If you’re looking for a stable and rewarding career with great growth potential, a blue-collar job might be the way to go. 

Whether you like to work solo or lead a team, there’s sure to be something for you in this list of the top 7 highest-paying blue-collar jobs in Australia!

1. Construction or Site Manager
2. Boilermaker
3. Plumber
4. Electrician
5. Tiler
6. Air Conditioning Technician
7. Carpenter

Construction managers oversee building and construction projects from start to finish, keeping a close eye on safety, timelines and more. Aussie site managers make an average of $132,221 (Indeed), with JobOutlook predicting strong future growth for the role. 

To work your way up to being a construction or site manager, you should:

A boilermaker fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers, and is also responsible for maintaining and repairing boilers. Boilermakers make an average of $108,947 (TradeRisk), with moderate job growth being expected. 

Working as a boilermaker can be risky, which is why you must achieve certain qualifications:

Aussie plumbers earn an average of $89,568 (TradeRisk), with their skills always being in high demand. Plumbers install and repair drainage, gas, water and sewerage pipes and systems, and can choose to work anywhere from large worksites to suburban homes. 

To become a plumber:

Electricians make an average of $87,707 (Indeed), with moderate growth being expected. Electricians might work in residential, commercial or industrial settings, maintaining, repairing and installing electrical appliances.

Due to the potentially risky nature of the work, it’s important to have the right qualifications:

Tilers work to create ceramic, stone and glass tiled floors, and can choose to work on residential builds all the way to large-scale commercial projects. Tilers make an average yearly salary of $86,048 (TradeRisk), and are expected to enjoy high future job growth. 

To become a tiler, you’ll need to:

Air conditioning technicians install, maintain and repair various types of air conditioning systems across homes and businesses. You can expect to earn around $80,000 in this medium-skill job, and also enjoy moderate job growth.

To become an air conditioning mechanic or technician, you’ll have to:

Carpenters build and repair wooden frames, foundations, walls and more across residential, commercial and industrial projects. This age-old profession is set to enjoy high job growth, as well as an average salary of $77,772 (TradeRisk). 

To start your career as a carpenter, you have to:

Talent Trends 2021 Report: https://www.michaelpage.com.au/salary-guide 

TradeRisk data found at: https://www.traderisk.com.au/how-much-do-tradies-earn 

https://joboutlook.gov.au/ 

https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/ 

https://au.talent.com/salary