Yahoo Finance Woman reveals impressive six-figure salary: 'First on the job and last to leave'
Suzie's yearly pay left many people in disbelief.
A woman who works as a traffic controller on construction sites has revealed her six-figure salary, leaving many in disbelief.
Tradies have been opening up recently about the amount of money they earn, and Suzie Rose is certainly pulling in more than some of her colleagues. The Queensland mum revealed she earned anywhere between $140,000 to $200,000 a year.
But before you hand in your notice at your current job to become a fellow traffic controller, it’s worth knowing Suzie’s shifts are sometimes unconventional to attract such a high salary.
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High risk = high reward
She explained that she did night shifts, where penalty rates and loadings were “really good”.
“It’s usually we’re the first on the job and the last [to leave],” she revealed in a TikTok video.
Suzie said there was a lot of ignorance about her line of work and many didn’t understand how “high-risk” her job could be.
“A young person is not asked a single question of what do you do when you approach roadworks,” she said. “There should be more awareness.”
Traffic controllers have to make sure pedestrian and vehicle flow around the construction site moves smoothly. They face a range of hazards, from distracted drivers not obeying their orders, to assault, and also exposure to toxins from construction materials.
Suzie said the training process to become a traffic controller was “fairly easy”. Candidates are required to complete their course work and then a 20-hour trial to see if the job is the right fit for them.
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‘How can anyone justify this?’
The reaction in the comments section of the TikTok video was shock and outrage. Many couldn’t believe a traffic controller could pull in that much money, while those who worked in the industry said they were earning much less.
One user said: “How can anyone justify paying a traffic controller that kind of money when our healthcare workers and emergency services get a smidgen of that?”
Another added: “I’m a doctor with 10yrs experience and yet this person earns more than me after a 20hr training course.”
“I'm pretty sure you'd have to clock a ridiculous amount of overtime to get anywhere near that,” wrote a third.
A person who worked in traffic control claimed they only earned around $30 per hour and double that during overtime, while another said: “I own a traffic control company in Sydney for 12 years and I’m sure she doesn’t make that much money.”
According to Indeed, the average salary for a traffic controller in Queensland, where Suzie is based, is a little higher than $36 per hour. Pulling a 12-hour day shift would net you $432 before tax, or $112,320 per year. But The Financial Review said some overnight shifts and weekend work could see these staff paid double-time rates.
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