‘Sick and tired’: Young Aussie slams $50,000 job offer

A 26-year-old Aussie has slammed the job market and the way companies treat young applicants after a $50,000 job offer left her enraged.

A $50,000 job offer has left a young Aussie more fed-up than thrilled and exposed a significant issue the younger generation are facing in the workforce.

Brisbane local Maddy Basham has a business degree, majoring in marketing and PR, but was recently left horrified after receiving the rather disappointing job offer.

The 26-year-old took to social media to slam the salary offer, suggesting $50,000 a year was not “liveable” and unacceptable for the job she had applied for.

“What the actual f**k is going on with the job market right now?” she said in a TikTok video, adding in the caption that she was “sick and tired” of seeing job advertisements asking for an educated and experienced marketer and “paying them nothing”.

Maddy Basham was left furious after applying for a marketing role requiring at least two years of experience and finding out the salary was $50,000. Picture: TikTok/madsbash444

She argued that $50,000 is no longer a liveable wage. Picture: TikTok/madsbash444

Ms Basham said she’d been offered a marketing co-ordinator role, with a minimum of two years’ experience and a degree required for the job, but was left gobsmacked when told the yearly salary would be just $50,000.

When broken down into an hourly rate, Ms Basham said it would be around $21 an hour, however assuming the position was for a 38 hour week, the hourly pay would be closer to $25.30.

According to the financial comparison site, Finder, the average Gen Zer brings home $51,285 per year, which means that Ms Basham’s salary offer isn’t out of the ordinary.

However, the young worker suggested this would not even be enough to make a dent in paying back the HECS debt she acquired in order to obtain the required degree.

Ms Basham said it is the same amount of money she was earning when she worked at Boost Juice, adding that she was making even more when she was a retail manager.

She said the low salaries being offered in her industry now were making her consider returning to retail.

“At this point, I am this close to going back to retail just to make a livable wage, it’s f**ked,” she said.

Ms Basham told news.com.au that she was making $50,000 a year in 2018, which was enough at the time to save and still have a good lifestyle, but now, with soaring rents and inflation, that was no longer possible.

The 26-year-old said she is simply looking for a “reasonable” salary of around $65,000 to $70,000 but finds it difficult.

“I worked as a retail manager for many years on $60,000 while at university, and so far, all I’ve done is take pay cut after pay cut after that,” she said.

The 26-year-old has a business degree and is looking for work in marketing. Picture: maddybasham/Instagram

Ms Basham said that $50,000 in 2024 isn’t a salary that people can comfortably live off without constantly stressing about money.

“A liveable salary with the ability to properly save money, buy healthy food, and socialise with friends semi-regularly is easily $75,000 plus, probably more when you consider how much HECS payments are,” she said.

The young Aussie’s rant has hit a nerve with other Gen Zers, who were quick to sympathise with her job market struggles.

One commenter claimed companies do not value marketing as much as they should, with another revealing they have a marketing degree that they’ve never used and instead have a job making $63 an hour that doesn’t require a degree.

Someone else said they were a barista making $75,000 and, even though they wanted to get out of hospitality, they have stayed because it pays better than most office jobs.

Another said Ms Basham was working an in oversaturated market which meant companies could make lowball offers.

One person said they were seeing a similar issue with managerial roles.

“Same for manager/supervisor roles. Only willing to pay $70k but need 2-5 years experience,” they wrote.

Another added: “Same in PR/Comms and design lol. I quit last year and went back to retail because it was so low.”

She isn’t the only young person who is struggling in the job market. Picture: Instagram/maddybasham

She's called out an issue with low wages. Picture: Instagram/maddybasham

David Holland, GM of employment app Swag, said that Gen Zers have to consider that while an initial salary might be low, there’s often more potential for growth.

“The initial pay may be lower, [but] the potential for rapid advancement and wage growth can be significant in industries that are experiencing rapid growth or talent shortages,” he said.

“Moreover, it’s important to consider the total employment package, which might include benefits, learning and professional development pathways, opportunities for career progression, and an engaging and positive work culture.”

Still, Mr Holland said that he can understand why we need to reconsider whether $50,000 is a liveable salary in 2024.

“It’s understandable that the adequacy of a $50,000 salary is under scrutiny, given the cost of living pressures. This is particularly relevant in the workforce right now, as salaries need to reflect not just the work done, but also the cost of living adjustments,” he said.

“With the rise of inflation and cost of living, it’s crucial for businesses to ensure their remuneration packages are competitive and fair, not only to reward employees for their efforts but also to attract top talent in the industry.”

Originally published as ‘Sick and tired’: Young Aussie slams $50,000 job offer