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Last week, there were just over 2000 jobs in the mining sector advertised on Seek with 85 per cent paying six-figure salaries – Australian. Photo / 123rf
Six-figure salaries are up for grabs in more than 1700 jobs across Australia’s mining sector, with some companies even offering a A$10,000 ($11,100) sign-on bonus as a skills shortage makes finding staff increasingly tough.
The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has revealed a lack of workers has sent salaries skyrocketing in the already lucrative industry, with the most in-demand jobs including metallurgist, auto electrician, automation engineer, apprentice heavy diesel fitter and geologist.
These jobs can command salaries of between A$100,000 and A$130,000 ($111,000 and $145,000) but auto electricians are paid even more with a starting salary of A$140,000 ($156,000).
Last week, there were just more than 2000 jobs in the mining sector advertised on Seek with 85 per cent paying six-figure salaries, the QRC said.
Mega sign-on bonuses are also being used as a way to attract staff, with mining services provider Thiess offering A$10,000 for workers who join the company as well as a A$5000 bonuses for successful referrals.
Even roles for trainee fitters are seeing salary offers of between A$75,000 and A$85,000 ($84,000 and $95,000).
Katrina Lee Jones, director of skills, education and diversity at QRC, said the construction boom had made competition for staff even worse, alongside a move towards more technology-based roles in the industry rather than just people being on the ground.
“The problem is that Covid has had minimal impact in terms of the production that is coming out of the industry, it’s booming in Queensland, but Covid has made this skill shortage worse,” she told news.com.au.
“We did have a number of people who were coming in from other states so Covid put a stop to that or made it very difficult or awkward, particularly coming in from Western Australia. And that increased the competition as well.”
The industry has also been hit by a drop in young people completing trades and apprenticeships, while it’s also competing for IT staff.
“I think that the IT world with virtual reality has opened up a whole new world for these people who are seeking these careers. Those sorts of jobs are very different even given just five years ago,” she said.
“We know the IT side and the use of these advanced technologies are attracting young people into the industry because the industry is at the forefront of a lot of these innovations.”
The QRC is launching a campaign next month to target school-leavers to consider a career in the industry.
Data released earlier this year from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that the mining industry continued to offer the best pay across Australia, with employees on an average of A$138,128 ($153,944).
The figures also showed that across all jobs in Australia you need to earn above A$91,000 ($101,000) per year to be considered to be on a higher-than-average salary.
Technology sector desperate for staff
The tech industry is another sector that is crying out for more skilled staff.
Companies – such as Amazon, Google, Atlassian and Canva – are paying between A$147,000 and A$350,000 ($164,000 and $390,000) for graduates, with some salaries including stock options and end-of-year bonuses, according to data obtained by The Australian.
Some of the eye-watering salaries – which would normally only be paid to chief executives – are seen at trading firms seeking software engineers, with Jane Street paying A$350,000, IMC shelling out A$260,000 and Amsterdam-based trading platform Optiver offering A$250,000.
Yet, the median salary of an Australian worker sits at just A$62,400 ($69,500), according to the ABS.
Yesterday, it revealed the unemployment rate for May hit 3.9 per cent with 60,600 new jobs created.
It was the seventh consecutive increase in employment, following the easing of lockdown restrictions in late 2021, the ABS said.
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