Lowest paid jobs in Australia

[cooee]

Just noticed this on the Herald-Sun website.

Coming in at number 3 on the lowest paid jobs.

Outdoor adventure guides - $38,319

Living life on the edge does not mean living life cashed up.

Bungy jump masters, white water rafting guides, outdoor adventure instructors, fishing guides, hunting guides, mountain guides and bushwalking guides are all among the lowest paid workers in the country.

[Moondog55]

I think you might find my trade even lower ; hospitality and retail have always been borderline poverty wages

[cooee]

I know. Number 2
Number 1 was Fast food cooks.

[wayno]

wonder why so many kiwis are in AUS? come to NZ and find out what western poverty wages are, starting a new job? you can be fired in the first three months for no reason at all. legally....

he current adult minimum wage rates (before tax) that apply for employees aged 16 or over are:

$13.75 an hour, which is
$110.00 for an 8-hour day or
$550.00 for a 40-hour week.
The minimum rates that apply to starting-out workers, and employees on the training minimum wage (before tax), are:

$11.00 an hour, which is
$88.00 for an 8-hour day or
$440.00 for a 40-hour week.

[Hallu]

Strange, a waiter is less than this and not in the top 10. By the way, a park ranger starts at $41,000 / year. Not exactly massive either.

[doogs]

http://www.news.com.au/money/money-matt ... 6663188446

[neilmny]

Take a look at this http://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/national ... fault.aspx
I'm off the unzed where all the ruch people are bro.

[puredingo]

I'll take the park ranger gig at $41,000...Be happy in your job and you'll never work a day in your life.
Plus I've got a trade, I can always suppliment the pay with the odd cash job when the weather is to crappy to partake in lifes pleasures.

[iGBH]

I'll take the park ranger gig at $41,000...Be happy in your job and you'll never work a day in your life.

Good in theory. There's lots of park ranger's here who are not happy. Its not the role it used to be.

[Nuts]

That figure is incorrect, find a rangers job advertised at that rate.. add allowances..

So too for bushwalking guides- currently $76500 pa pro rata (of course that assumes full time employment and the fact that one would go a bit nutty even if there was ever that much work around)

[Strider]

So too for bushwalking guides- currently $76500 pa pro rata

Perhaps, but wouldn't the actual annual income still be the figure quoted above?

[Nuts]

Probably, think of it as a lifestyle thing, you need time to spend it afterall ; )

[tastrax]

I'll take the park ranger gig at $41,000...Be happy in your job and you'll never work a day in your life.

Settle down - I was one of those and worked hard every day! ...and loved it ..on a lot less than $41K! I was Ranger in Charge and got less than that!

[Nuts]

When, last century?

[tastrax]

Well yes, it was last century, but not actually that many years ago

[tastrax]

OK - what year do you reckon this was....

[Occam]

Typed by a secretary...say 1984

[tastrax]

close, but you don't win the prize....

[puredingo]

Pre 1984!! Did you say you were a park ranger or a bushranger?....Come to think of it there isn't much difference in the RNP, they both rob you every chance they get.

[wayno]

my first job in 1986 paid $9k
i know a few hut wardens who have higher paid professions they can pick up once they've finished being hut wardens over summer.

[Nuts]

Phil, I have a copy of a survey response from Tas Parks from 1988 (my survey.. ironically- 'The influence of bushwalking guidebooks and other media on remote wilderness locations'). They didn't use a typewriter then

I'd say after 1984. Were you recruited in that trainee scheme, 1986/7 was it? (I first met you on that airstrip reveg. project near lake Pedder in mid/late 90's and you seemed like a part of the furniture back then probably already at control hq rather than still a ranger? )

Did you get allowances back then though? Probably another 5k..?

[tastrax]

1986 - my recruitment as a Ranger at Collingwood River - three of us on the side of the Lyell Highway in caravans and yes we did get extra allowances. I had previously been at Cradle Mountain for a stint and then had worked for a private builder building the underground toilets at Dove Lake.

[Nuts]

They're great toilets. I guess not the cheapest solution but that sort of imagination seems stifled these days.
I hope they are paying you more than that now.

[Miyata610]

So too for bushwalking guides- currently $76500 pa pro rata (of course that assumes full time employment and the fact that one would go a bit nutty even if there was ever that much work around)

Does that assume 52 trips back to back. I.e. working 365 days a year?

If a guide works 14 hours in an average day then that's about $15 an hour isn't it?

Not including being on call for the other ten hours.

That's less than the minimum wage.

I think guides probably do it because they actually like doing it. Good on 'em.

[Nuts]

Something like that

7am to 6/7/8/9/10/11pm

According to the 'award':
Grade 1
624.00
16.42

Things do get done quicker the longer you do them but yep... guess you have to skip desert if time is up ; )

People offer to do it for zip.

[wayno]

in NZ most of the guides seem to be people on working visas,

[Nuts]

It's traditionally been a uni holiday job in Tassie. The thought had never crossed my mind that people actually got paid to go bushwalking when I first heard of guiding, I thought it was great!!! If you look at an average weekly wage capacity (unless somewhere actually does let you do that much overtime) in Tas.. if you can find things to fill the off weeks, the payment is actually pretty good. No expenses... some of it could hardly be called 'work'.. Iv'e not heard any guide ever mention an award till recently.. they just move on I guess..

[neilmny]

my first job in 1986 paid $9k
i know a few hut wardens who have higher paid professions they can pick up once they've finished being hut wardens over summer.

Well mine is smaller than yours wayno... ....trainee draftsman in 1972 paid $610 per annum....
Not a Ranger but sad all the same........back then I would have liked to be a Ranger does that count?

[walkinTas]

Well mine is smaller than yours wayno... ....trainee draftsman in 1972 paid $610 per annum....

That's why we have minimum wage legislation! My first job ('77) paid 2.58 and hour. $96.75 a week, but my rent was only $25 so I still had beer money.

[tastrax]

I am sure that "first real job" is getting harder for many young kids - most seem to gravitate to food service or retail whilst looking for the career job. Having said that, the career jobs that were about years ago, are either no longer there or people just don't stay in them that long. Gen Y are much more likely to keep moving on in search of the mighty $$ OR a better experience OR an overseas travel opportunity.