There is a significant catch to the eye-watering salary a young Australian lady has bragged about earning as a very casual traffic controller.
Nyah Covey created a video on TikTok in which she detailed the $2,300 she made working five days at traffic control in Queensland, even though she worked 60 hours per week as opposed to the typical 40 hours.
However, the money was collected as pre-tax income from occasional shifts, so she is unlikely to work the same number of hours every week.
Her greatest pay for the week was $700 for a 12-hour Sunday shift.
She would easily earn $100,000 before taxes if she could maintain the same hours throughout the whole year. She would also have plenty of time for vacations.
However, once the taxman gets his cut, her daily earnings sharply decline.
Australians who make more than $90,000 per year must pay taxes totaling $20,797 + 37c for each additional dollar.
Taxes are a b***h, she said.
However, Ms. Covey refuted the claim that her work was simple.
Many people believe that being a traffic controller is simple, but there are many challenging and stressful days, particularly if we are working on a highway, she added.
We truly do a lot; some days are quite laid-back, but we also have our frantic days depending on the task, and it’s not always simple.
She further said that while her hourly wage is really $31, she additionally receives a travel and meal allowance, as well as extra time and a half as a punishment for working overtime and on the weekends.
Are traffic officers paid well?
It’s complex, but often not in the way you’d expect.
The national award rate for traffic controllers is $29.79 per hour, however salaries may reach $120 per hour.
For traffic controllers employed by unions, the salary is higher, but there is a shortage of these posts.
In Victoria, CFMEU-represented traffic controllers may make up to $55.08 per hour.
If working overtime, the fee increases to $99.15.
They may earn up to $121.18 per hour on holidays.
In Victoria, full-time traffic controller positions are often advertised as paying between $50,000 and $70,000 annually.
The typical yearly wage for a traffic controller in NSW is $76,249, according to Seek.com.au.
The most typical pay range for traffic controllers in Australia is between $40,000 and $60,000.