Stephen Bates, a Brisbane Greens MP who left retail to pursue a career in politics, will earn a big wage raise.

After abandoning ret, Brisbane Greens MP Stephen Bates will enjoy a big wage raise. After becoming the newest member of federal parliament, a store worker’s pay will treble to a ‘insane’ six figures.

As he prepares for his new duty as the member for Brisbane, incoming Greens MP Stephen Bates still needs to work three more shifts in his retail sales job to pay the rent.

On Saturday, a week after the election, he finally handed in his resignation when the Greens eventually declared victory in the hotly disputed seat.

Mr. Bates, 29, will work his final retail shift next Saturday and is still adjusting to his new job as one of parliament’s youngest members.

Incoming Greens MP Stephen Bates still has a few shifts to go in his retail sales job

‘Rent doesn’t pay itself!’ Mr Bates tweeted on Sunday.

He defeated sitting MP Trevor Evans, a former chief of the National Retail Association.

‘It still hasn’t hit me yet, to be honest. It still hasn’t sunk in,’  Mr Bates told the ABC.

He described his new pay packet, the federal MP base salary which is just over $211,000 as insane, which is more than four times than what his retail job pays.

‘I, personally, think politicians get paid way too much money,’ he said.

‘That’s an indictment of our system that we create this political class that can be so out of touch with what the rest of the country experiences.’

Mr Bates also revealed he’s only ever been to his new workplace Parliament House once in his life when he was in Canberra for a job interview five years ago.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s hopes for a final 76th spot to form a majority Labor government has come down to three seats after Mr Bates became the fourth Greens MP to be elected.

Stephen Bates salary will quadruple after he was elected as the new Brisbane MP

The Greens are also on track to pick up a record 13th spot in the Senate.

Mr Bates has spent the 12 months campaigning and was working in retail full-time up until March.

‘To the people of Brisbane who have placed their trust in me, I will not let you down,’ Mr Bates wrote.

‘This is the most humbling experience of my life and I am so privileged to be able to advocate for legislative solutions to the struggles our community faces.

‘Be it homelessness, childcare costs, rental affordability, climate change, bad developments, or unsustainable flight noise from Brisbane Airport, I am very eager to get to work.’

Stephen Bates (right) will be one of the youngest MPs in the new federal parliament