‘Keep it up mate’: Childcare worker reveals salary

A man has revealed that he works in a female-dominated profession that he finds “rewarding” but his salary has sparked debate.

A childcare worker has revealed the salary he earns working in the female-dominated childcare profession.

The man was stopped in Brisbane by the popular job-matching app Getahead.

The app has started a successful series on TikTok that has amassed millions of views by talking to everyday Aussies about their salaries.

The childcare worker explained that he had just completed his diploma and was bringing him around $70,000.

He added that he ended up working in childcare because his mum worked in the industry and he was influenced by her.

He explained that he finds his career rewarding. Picture: TikTok/GetaheadApp

He said he gets stereotyped. Picture: TikTok/GetaheadApp

The man explained he was drawn to the profession because he finds it “rewarding” and you’re helping children through a crucial learning period from 0-5 and getting them ready for school.

He then shared that being a male working in childcare isn’t always easy because there’s a stereotype that “males can’t look after children” and that can be a challenge.

The man said that the most important skill you need to be a good child worker is to learn “push through” because a lot of the job involves tedious tasks like cleaning.

He explained that “resilience” is really important in the job because sometimes you do just have tough days.

The man’s salary sparked debate. Picture: iStock

According to Seek, the average salary for a childcare worker is between $70,000 and $75,000. This is significantly less than the typical full-time Aussie salary of around $90,000.

The man’s career admission got a positive response online with one writing “keep it up mate” and another sharing that there are some “wonderful male educators within our industry”, adding a “well done” to him.

The conversation quickly turned to the man’s salary disclosure with someone arguing it was a great wage considering he’d just finished his diploma and others claiming it wasn’t enough in 2025.

Someone said $70,000 as a starting rate was “wowser” and another said that anyone saying $70,000 isn’t “enough” should “rethink” their lifestyles and start making serious sacrifices.

Someone else replied and said when you consider the cost of living, “$70,000 isn’t enough for the average household” and pointed out if you’re earning $70,000 after tax you’re really only bringing home just over $50,000.

One commenter even branded it a “poverty wage”.

Another argued that the man was “getting more than a lot of people” and anyone earning $70,000 should feel “thankful”.

Originally published as ‘Keep it up mate’: Childcare worker reveals salary