By Millie Muroi and Craig Butt
For Edward Taylor, COVID lockdowns offered the perfect opportunity to switch off a 15-year corporate career building software companies and do something crazy.
“I took a year off, and wrote a list of the craziest things I could do,” he said. “The most outrageous one I could come up with was learning to fly a helicopter.”
Edward Taylor said the main barrier to becoming a helicopter pilot was the upfront costs of getting a licenceCredit: Photograph by Chris Hopkins
In 2020, he took to the skies. More than 100 hours later, having spent nearly $100,000 for training and experience, Taylor secured his commercial helicopter pilot licence.
Now, the former software entrepreneur is one of 1127 helicopter pilots in Australia. About 86.4 per cent of these helicopter pilots work full-time, earning a median income of $128,000 a year, according to census data – about as much as a solicitor or software engineer, on average.
That’s nearly $2000 more than the median income of full-time aeroplane pilots – although Taylor says the income can vary significantly depending on a pilot’s licence category and type of employment.
You can find out the median full-time yearly income of your job using our interactive tool, as well as how it ranks compared to more than 1000 other occupations, roles that earn a similar amount, and more. Simply type your job into the box below and follow the prompt to our visual story.
Melbourne-based Taylor, who now owns his own scenic helicopter tour business, Rotor One – Melbourne Helicopter Rides, said the process of getting a licence was a complete pivot from his career in software.
“The first flight was the most complex, stressful, overwhelming but exciting experience I’ve ever had,” he said. “But I’m a person who likes to take very complex things and simplify and master them.”
Obtaining a commercial helicopter pilot licence requires 105 hours of trainingCredit: Photograph by Chris Hopkins
His business now operates three to six helicopters at a time, with a regular rotating roster of four or five pilots.
Taylor said the main barrier to becoming a helicopter pilot was the upfront costs of getting a licence – 105 hours of training comes to $95,000.
Here are other careers that boast six-figure median full-time incomes.
Train drivers earn about $5000 less than aeroplane pilots, bringing in a median full-time income of $121,000 – more than the median full-time salary of a financial investment adviser. There are 11,126 train drivers in Australia, 91.8 per cent of whom work full-time. In 2019, train driver Thea Pratt said the salary reflected the “safety-critical shift work” nature of the job. “You’re driving a rather large piece of equipment with a rather large amount of people on it,” she said.
Train drivers and signallers earn more than $100,000 a year. Your life depends on them.
Full-time train signallers, who track and divert trains, earn about $136,000 a year. There are 1289 train signallers in Australia, of which about three-quarters work full-time. The job does not require a university degree. A Sydney Trains spokesperson said it required about 30 weeks of training to be a fully qualified signaller. “Following acceptance to the course, the first stage of training runs for 10 weeks and focuses on simulator and classroom-based learning,” they said. That is followed by 12 weeks of simulator and on-the-job experience, and eight weeks of further on-the-job training and final assessments.
Quantity surveyors, who estimate the cost of projects in the construction industry, earn about $121,000, with 86.6 per cent of the 3450 in Australia working full-time. Marine surveyors, who inspect marine equipment (mostly boats and cargo) to determine their safety and market value, earn a bit less. Of the 491 marine surveyors nationwide, 78.3 per cent work full-time, earning $108,000 a year.
Software testers, who rely on their skills and expertise with computers to ensure computer programs operate as intended, crack the $100,000 mark when it comes to salary, with nearly 90 per cent of the 9078 software testers in Australia working full-time.
Patents examiners, who review and assess patent applications to make sure they meet legislative requirements, earn a bit more. Of the 464 in Australia, 80 per cent work full-time, earning nearly $108,000.
Geologists and metallurgists: occupations which earn more on average than all the others we have highlighted here. There are roughly 1083 metallurgists (scientists who research and advise on extracting and casting metals), of which 84.3 per cent work full-time with a median income of about $138,000. Of the 6498 geologists in Australia, 82.8 per cent work full-time, raking in a median income of about $143,000.
The census data shows there are 43 jobs with a median full-time income well within the top tax bracket, most of them in medicine and law. Among these 43, some of the only roles that do not require a degree are member of parliament and air traffic controller.
But as national science reporter Liam Mannix found out a few years ago when he attempted the test Air Services Australia uses to screen worthy candidates, very few have what it takes to be an air traffic controller:
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