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Create ResumeIf you're looking for a high-income career without a university degree, trades remain one of the strongest pathways in Australia. The best paying trade jobs in Australia can earn well over $150,000 per year, particularly in mining, construction, energy, infrastructure, and specialised industrial sectors.
But salary alone does not determine whether a trade is worth pursuing.
The highest-paid tradies in Australia typically combine:
High-demand skills
Licensing or technical specialisation
FIFO or remote work willingness
Overtime and penalty rates
Strong union or enterprise agreements
Experience in critical industries like mining, oil and gas, rail, energy, or large-scale infrastructure
A first-year apprentice electrician and a shutdown electrician in WA mining are technically in the same trade, but their earning potential is completely different.
A trade becomes highly paid when demand significantly outweighs available qualified workers.
In Australia, the biggest salary drivers are usually:
Mining and resources sector demand
Infrastructure spending
Licensing barriers
Regional shortages
Safety-critical work
Industrial specialisation
Shift work and overtime
FIFO arrangements
This guide breaks down:
The highest-paying trades in Australia
Realistic salary expectations
Which trades are booming
What affects earning potential
Which trades have the best long-term career outlook
Common mistakes people make when choosing a trade career
Union-negotiated rates
Technical complexity
This is why some trades earn dramatically more than others despite similar apprenticeship pathways.
For example:
A residential painter may earn $70,000 to $90,000
An industrial rope access painter on offshore projects may exceed $180,000
Same broad trade category. Completely different market value.
Electricians consistently rank among the highest-paid tradies in Australia because the trade spans residential, commercial, industrial, mining, rail, renewable energy, automation, and hazardous environments.
Apprentice: $45,000 to $65,000
Qualified electrician: $90,000 to $120,000
Mining or industrial electrician: $150,000 to $220,000+
Shutdown specialist: Often higher during peak project periods
Electrical licensing creates a strong barrier to entry. Employers cannot legally use unlicensed workers for many tasks.
The highest-paid electricians usually specialise in:
High voltage
Instrumentation
Automation
PLC systems
Mining maintenance
Renewable energy systems
Hazardous area work
In high-paying sectors, employers prioritise:
Australian-recognised licences
Industrial experience
Safety certifications
FIFO readiness
Fault-finding capability
Reliability under shutdown pressure
Residential-only experience often limits salary growth.
Boilermakers are among the top earners in mining, heavy fabrication, shutdown maintenance, and infrastructure projects.
Standard workshop roles: $90,000 to $120,000
FIFO boilermaker roles: $150,000 to $220,000+
Shutdown contractors: Higher during project peaks
The work is physically demanding, safety-critical, and heavily tied to mining and industrial maintenance.
Many employers struggle to recruit experienced boilermakers willing to work:
FIFO rosters
Extreme temperatures
Night shifts
Remote locations
That shortage drives salaries upward.
Experienced boilermakers can move into:
Supervisory roles
Welding inspection
QA/QC
Shutdown coordination
Offshore work
These pathways can significantly increase long-term earning potential.
Plumbing remains one of Australia's most stable and profitable trades, especially for those who move beyond residential maintenance work.
Residential plumber: $80,000 to $110,000
Commercial plumber: $100,000 to $140,000
Mining or gas plumber: $150,000+
Self-employed plumbing business owners: Potentially much higher
The best-paid plumbing sectors include:
Commercial construction
Civil infrastructure
Gas fitting
Fire systems
Industrial projects
Mining camps
Hydraulic services
Many young plumbers underestimate the earning difference between:
and
The salary gap can become massive within five to seven years.
Diesel mechanics are critically important across mining, transport, agriculture, logistics, rail, and heavy equipment maintenance.
Workshop diesel mechanic: $90,000 to $120,000
FIFO heavy diesel mechanic: $160,000 to $250,000+
Underground mining mechanic: Often higher
Australia's mining industry relies heavily on heavy machinery:
Haul trucks
Excavators
Loaders
Drill rigs
Underground vehicles
Downtime costs mining companies enormous amounts of money. Skilled diesel mechanics who can quickly diagnose and repair equipment are extremely valuable.
Top-paid diesel mechanics usually have:
OEM experience
Field service capability
Diagnostic expertise
Breakdown response experience
Mobile plant qualifications
HVAC technicians are becoming increasingly valuable due to infrastructure growth, data centres, hospitals, and commercial property expansion.
Standard HVAC technician: $85,000 to $120,000
Commercial HVAC specialist: $130,000+
Industrial refrigeration technician: $150,000+
Modern buildings are becoming more technically complex.
Employers need technicians who understand:
Energy efficiency systems
Building automation
Industrial refrigeration
Climate control systems
Commercial maintenance
This trade combines electrical, mechanical, and technical troubleshooting skills, making experienced workers difficult to replace.
Welding salaries vary enormously depending on skill level and industry.
Basic workshop welder: $70,000 to $95,000
Coded welder: $120,000 to $180,000+
Underwater or specialised welding: Much higher
The gap between average and elite welders is massive.
High-paying sectors usually require:
Pressure welding
Pipeline welding
Structural welding certifications
Mining shutdown experience
Advanced fabrication capability
Many welders stay in low-paying fabrication workshops for too long instead of moving into:
Mining
Energy
Infrastructure
Offshore
Defence projects
That career move often doubles earnings.
Carpentry remains one of Australia's largest trades, but income varies significantly depending on specialisation.
Residential carpenter: $75,000 to $110,000
Commercial formwork carpenter: $120,000 to $180,000+
Civil infrastructure carpenter: Often higher
Top-paying sectors include:
Large infrastructure projects
Commercial construction
Civil projects
Formwork
Tier 1 builders
Union construction sites
Many apprentices enter residential carpentry without realising commercial construction often pays substantially more.
Commercial experience also improves:
Long-term earning potential
Site allowances
Overtime access
Career progression opportunities
Refrigeration mechanics are increasingly difficult to find across Australia.
Standard technician: $90,000 to $120,000
Industrial refrigeration specialist: $140,000 to $180,000+
Mining refrigeration technician: Higher in remote sectors
The trade requires:
Electrical competency
Refrigeration licensing
Technical troubleshooting
Compliance knowledge
Because the skill set is specialised, experienced technicians are highly sought after.
Crane operators can earn extremely high incomes on major projects and mining sites.
Metro construction operator: $110,000 to $160,000
FIFO crane operator: $180,000 to $250,000+
The role carries enormous safety responsibility.
Large infrastructure projects cannot operate efficiently without skilled operators.
High-risk tickets and experience with specialised cranes increase earning potential significantly.
Linesmen working on electrical transmission infrastructure are among the highest-paid workers in the Australian trades sector.
Qualified linesman: $140,000 to $220,000+
Remote project work: Higher again
The role involves:
High-risk work
Emergency response
Remote infrastructure
Severe weather conditions
Critical energy systems
There are relatively few qualified workers compared to demand.
The strongest long-term trade careers are tied to industries Australia continues investing heavily in.
Electricians
HVAC technicians
Heavy diesel mechanics
Renewable energy technicians
Industrial plumbers
Refrigeration mechanics
Automation technicians
Instrumentation electricians
They align with:
Renewable energy expansion
Data centre growth
Electrification
Infrastructure investment
Mining automation
Industrial maintenance demand
Trades heavily reliant on low-complexity manual labour may face more pricing pressure over time.
FIFO roles dominate many highest-paying trade salary lists.
Employers pay premiums because workers must:
Live away from home
Work remote rosters
Handle harsh environments
Work long shifts
Adapt to physically demanding conditions
FIFO is not easy money.
Burnout is common.
High turnover exists because many workers struggle with:
Isolation
Mental fatigue
Family strain
Sleep disruption
Long roster cycles
Some candidates chase FIFO salaries without understanding the lifestyle trade-off.
That usually ends badly.
If you're entering a trade now, salary potential matters, but so does long-term demand.
Electrical
Refrigeration and air conditioning
Heavy diesel mechanics
Plumbing
Industrial instrumentation
Renewable energy electrical work
The best apprenticeships usually provide:
Diverse site exposure
Strong mentoring
Industrial experience
Licensing pathways
Large project exposure
Many apprentices focus only on getting signed up quickly instead of evaluating long-term career value.
That is a major mistake.
Boom cycles change.
The highest-paying trade today may cool significantly in five years.
Long-term employability matters more than short-term hype.
Specialisation often matters more than the trade itself.
For example:
versus
Completely different income ceiling.
High-paying employers prioritise workers with:
Additional tickets
Advanced licences
Confined space certifications
Working at heights
High-risk tickets
Instrumentation qualifications
The workers earning top-tier salaries rarely stop upskilling.
Many tradies get stuck in:
Small residential companies
Low-margin subcontracting
Basic workshop roles
The highest earners actively move toward:
Infrastructure
Mining
Energy
Rail
Major projects
Many candidates assume trade hiring is purely skill-based.
It is not.
For premium-paying roles, employers evaluate:
Reliability
Safety mindset
Attendance history
Shutdown performance
Team behaviour
Ability to work under pressure
Communication on site
Compliance awareness
A technically strong tradie with poor reliability often loses opportunities to someone slightly less skilled but more dependable.
That is especially true in mining and shutdown environments.
For many Australians, trades now provide:
Faster earning potential
Lower student debt
Strong employment security
Practical career progression
High overtime opportunities
Some experienced tradies out-earn corporate professionals significantly.
However, trade careers are physically demanding and not suitable for everyone.
The best choice depends on:
Lifestyle preferences
Physical capability
Long-term career goals
Interest in hands-on work
The highest-paid tradies usually follow a clear pattern.
Examples include:
Mining
Infrastructure
Energy
Rail
Defence
Oil and gas
Extra licences and technical capability dramatically increase employability.
In trades, reputation spreads quickly.
Reliable workers get:
Better rosters
Preferred contracts
Shutdown opportunities
Supervisor recommendations
The highest earners understand:
Downtime costs
Project deadlines
Productivity pressure
Client expectations
That commercial awareness makes workers more valuable.
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