Brisbane man reveals he is earning $400,000, but not everyone is impressed

A man has revealed his jaw-dropping salary and what he does to make it and the response from Aussies has been very unexpected.

A Brisbane man has revealed how he makes up to $400,000 per year, and some Aussies are claiming that still isn’t enough.

GetAhead, a job search app that works like Tinder but instead matches people with jobs, is always going viral for hitting Australia’s streets and asking people what their jobs are and what their salaries are.

In a recent clip, an unassuming man looking casual in shorts and thongs revealed his staggering salary of between $300,000 and $400,000, well above Australia’s average salary of just over $100,000.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in August found that the average full-time salary is now $100,017, for the first time ever, without out any bonuses or overtime.

The man revealed that he works in private equity to bring home at least triple Australia’s average salary.

“We acquire businesses, hopefully grow them, and then you realise you your returns out of selling them or taking funds out of the company as dividends,” he said.

The Brisbane man explained that he “started out as a banker” and then opened his own firm alongside his business partners to “invest in early stage high growth businesses”.

He advised that a finance degree is “helpful” if you’re interested in getting into private equality, but you also need to understand people and relationships.

Despite the high-stakes nature of working with businesses, he said that he loves what he does and that “going to work is great”.

“It definitely comes with its stresses but I don’t wake up thinking I want to throw the towel in or think it is too much,” he said.

But, despite the man’s staggering salary, Aussies are claiming he doesn’t earn enough.

The man revealed that he started out in banking. Picture: TikTok/GetAheadApp

He said that he loves his job. Picture: TikTok/GetAheadApp

“If he’s in private equity and making $300-400k he’s not doing well. These guys should be making millions,” one person claimed.

“Pocket money. Should be pulling in $5-10 million. Plus bonus,” another said.

Someone else commented and shared their disbelief that he works in private equity but is only taking home, at most, $400,000.

Someone else argued that he said he started his own firm, so he might not be “paying himself much yet”.

Among the Aussies claiming the man should be earning more, there were others who were impressed by his salary.

Someone said $400,000 in this economy isn’t “bad”, while another argued that it was a “massive” salary to earn in Brisbane.

“People acting like $300-$400k is bad. It’s life changing money for 99 per cent of people. This is really solid profit for the risk involved,” one argued.

“Not only that, dude is literally in the top 1 per cent of earners in Australia and seems like that’s not enough,” another wrote back.

Someone else wrote that he was clearly earning “good” money, and another pointed out that not everyone in private equity makes millions.

SEEK has revealed the jobs where salaries have increased the most in 2024. Picture: iStock

Despite a man on $400,000 being shamed for not earning enough, job search platform SEEK has revealed the top 10 roles that experienced the fastest salary increase in the last quarter of 2024, and only two of them are over $100,000.

Operations team members are now earning an average of $64,969, an increase of 21 per cent; support engineers are now earning $107,221, a yearly increase of 17.3 per cent; and alarm technicians are earning an average of $93,563, an increase of 15.4 per cent.

Enrolled nurses have also seen growth, with the average salary now $84,961, an increase of 15.1 per cent. Service officers are now taking home an average of $84,961, an increase of 15 per cent.

Telecommunication technician salaries have increased by an average of 15 per cent, to an average of $87,666.

Finishers saw a 14.7 per cent increase across the board bringing the industry average salary to $86.825.

Among the some of the other sectors that saw increases were farm assistants, counsellors, peer workers ad banking service managers.

Enrolled nurses have seen growth, with the average salary now $84,961, Picture: iStock

SEEK’s Head of ANZ market data and customer analytics, Leigh Broderick, said that the latest data from SEEK spotlights the roles were salaries are increasing at the quickest rate.

“This data suggests that some roles in key sectors such as education, infrastructure and trades and manufacturing have unlocked faster growth in earning potential in 2024,” she said.

“The increasing demand for these workers, coupled with ongoing talent shortages and a willingness to offer higher salaries for more specialised and technical roles, is likely driving larger pay increases in these positions.

“As salary continues to remain top of mind for many Australians amid the rising cost of living, this data offers valuable insights for individuals who are looking to upskill or explore new opportunities, and make an informed decision about their future career path.”