The construction industry is one of Australia’s fastest-growing sectors, employing an estimated 1.35 million people as of November 2023. With the Federal Government’s goal to build 1.2 million new homes within the next 5 years, it’s now understood that an additional 90,000 workers are required. It’s kind of the best time in construction’s history to get involved in the industry.
Luckily, construction offers a huge range of job opportunities for all sorts of skill sets and comes with some pretty healthy salaries. So, we’ve done the hard yards for you and found the top 10 highest paying jobs within construction as of 2024 – Australia only.
As a construction manager, you’ll manage work schedules, coordinate subcontractors, estimate material and labour costs, provide regular progress updates to clients and stakeholders, ensure safety codes are met, and keep the project on track.
Moving into a construction management role requires a decent amount of experience, and usually a formal qualification to back it up. Luckily we offer an RPL only Diploma of Building and Construction (Management) that will help you get there.
As a Project Manager, you’ll specialise in overseeing key activities in construction projects. This includes booking surveyors and technical personnel, hiring equipment, ordering materials, reviewing plans, and managing operational plans, people, and budgets.
Any management role within construction will require you to have a formal qualification, our Diploma of Project Management equips you with more than just that. Endorsed by the AIPM, you’ll welcome tons of benefits once certified like; a median salary 14% higher than non-certified project managers, networking opportunities, and further evidence of your skill and commitment to project management.
- FOREMAN $100k – $160k
As a foreman, you’ll coordinate construction work and allocate daily duties based on project priorities and plans. You’ll organise schedules, monitor crew attendance, oversee and ensure that work adheres to building legislation and meets standards of performance, quality, cost, and safety.
- BIM MANAGER $100k – $160k
As a BIM manager, you are responsible for implementing your company’s building information modelling (BIM) process. This involves collecting and using data to create a digital representation of an asset during a project. This process helps your company design and build more efficiently.
- CRANE OPERATOR $85k – $145k
Crane operators are responsible for lifting and moving materials around a construction site safely and efficiently. As a crane operator, you need to be practically minded and understand how to operate and maintain heavy machinery.
As a Site Supervisor, you’ll manage and coordinate daily worksite operations, ensuring high performance and adherence to health and safety guidelines.
To work as a Site Supervisor in Australia you need to possess a specific building licence, the one you need changes depending on your state. We offer courses to increase your eligibility to obtain several different licences (a process that must be approved by a licencing body e.g. the QBCC). Fortunately, our sister company, National Licencing is there to make this approval process even smoother.
- STRUCTURAL ENGINEER $80k – $140k
Structural Engineers assess the static properties of various structures, conduct tests on the behaviour and durability of construction materials, and oversee the design and construction of diverse structures.
A senior estimator plays a vital role in ensuring cost-effective projects by computing all expenses associated with a project, including materials, labour, and time.
Working as an estimator requires you to possess a formal qualification, our Certificate IV in Building Project Support (Estimator) will equip you with the necessary skills to enact an estimator role, providing potential employees with the reassurance that you know what you’re doing.
- HVAC TECHNICIAN $70k – $130k
HVAC technicians specialise in heating, ventilation, and cooling systems, utilising a diverse range of tools, materials, and machinery for installation, repair, and maintenance.
- ELECTRICIAN $70k – $130k
Electricians, as skilled tradespeople, are responsible for the planning, installation, and maintenance of electrical wiring systems in diverse environments. These environments may include residential homes, commercial buildings, or large equipment like industrial machinery.
SPECIALISED SKILLS ROLES
We all know that for many of the above roles to be carried out effectively, many tradies are working beneath them to get the job done.
Specialised skills are in extremely high demand in Australia, and they’re essential to the construction process.
Roles that fall under the specialised skills category include:
- Plumber $55k – $115k
- Roofer $50k – $110k
- Ironworker $65k – $105k
- Glazier $45k – $105k
- Carpenter $45k – $105k
- Joiner $55k – $100k
- Bricklayer $40k – $100k
- Welder $65k – $95k
- Painter $60k – $90k
- Labourer $40k – $85k
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There’s never been a better time to begin a career in construction or to level up your current role. The right qualifications and licences will help you get there and are often essential to securing new (and higher up) jobs on site.
The industry is set to see major growth over the next few years, with massive projects rolling out throughout Australia:
- The Brisbane Olympics, a $7.1 BILLION infrastructure project rolling out over the next 8 years.
- STH BNK Melbourne, a $2.7 BILLION tower set to be completed in 2029.
- Sydney’s Metro, a $64 BILLION rail project set for completion in 2030.
And that’s only to name a few, there’s tons more instore and it’s time you got a finger in the pie!
Be a part of one of the most in-demand, constantly changing, and rewarding industries where your work can be marveled at on the world’s stage.
Data sourced from SEEK
