Aussie mining boss reveals what you can make as a chief financial officer

A mining boss has revealed a salary reality, meanwhile a worker has shared why his wage doesn’t feel enough anymore.

A mining boss has expressed his genuine relief that he doesn’t have to physically work in the mines.

Australia’s mining industry is worth millions, and fly-in-fly-out workers who get their hands dirty are some of the most well-paid workers in the country. But there’s also the administration side of things.

While it’s common knowledge that if you work in the actual mines, you’ll bring home a six-figure salary, less is known about how much the big bosses make in the industry.

The job search platform SEEK claims that the average salary for someone working in the mines is between $120,000 to $140,000.

Getahead, a popular job-matching app that works like Tinder but lets Aussies match with jobs instead of love interests, has created a clever series on social media in which they stop and ask regular Aussies what they do for work and how much they make.

MORE: The highest paying jobs in Australia without a degree

The series has been a roaring success with millions of views and sparking numerous debates about salaries.

In this case, the inconspicuous boss was just having a glass of wine when he was approached and asked what he did for a living. He said that he was the chief financial officer for a mining company.

“So you’re an accountant in the mines?” The interviewer questioned.

“I don’t actually have to go in and work in the mines thank god,” he said.

He is a CFO. Picture: TikTok/GetAhead

He said he has a history in banking. Picture: TikTok/GetAhead

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The CFO said he started his career as a chartered accountant many years ago, worked with several international accounting firms, and then went into merchant banking.

“Then I did other things, but I always had share investments in the mining industry, so I ended up there,” he explained.

While the CFO didn’t give out his salary, he explained how much someone can be made as a chief financial officer.

“They can probably get paid anywhere from a couple of hundred thousand in a well-paid company or maybe a decent sized company to maybe multiples of that,” he said.

According to job search platform Seek, the average salary for a CFO in Australia is between $190,000 and $210,0000.

The CFO also revealed that the key to financial success is that if you’re working at a listed company and you’re “invested and confident,” you should get some equity in the company, either for free or by buying your way in.

“You can make as much money out of that and the employee share plan in the right company as you can from working,” he advised.

The clip has amassed over 18,000 views and one person commented and said, “He is rich rich”.

He works in the mines. Picture: Instagram/ josh.buddeke

Josh has previously shared why his wage doesn't feel like enough. Picture: Instagram/ josh.buddeke

The CFO’s comments come after an Aussie FIFO worker revealed why he still doesn’t feel like he is getting ahead.

Josh Buddeke, 32, is a FIFO worker who works as an underground electrician earning $140,000 a year.

Earning that wage doesn’t come without sacrifice, though. He lives on NSW’s Central Coast and travels to work, meaning he is consistently away from his family and friends.

For many people, one of the main draws of being a FIFO worker is the opportunity to get ahead financially, but Mr Buddeke is finding that it isn’t working out for him.

He has taken to social media to share his fears about never being able to get ahead no matter how hard he works.

“I make over $3000 a week working in the mines. It used to be f**king excellent money, but now it is like you can’t even get in front,” he said.

The 32-year-old said that there’s no ignoring the fact that his mortgage is hard to service at the moment.

“Mortgage repayments with rates and utilities is a killer right now for everyone. I think everyone is struggling. I feel more for renters,” he said.

“They earn like us and I feel will never be able to get a deposit down without a side hustle or second job in the current state we are in.

“I hope it gets better for them because they deserve it.”

Mr Buddeke said that, while there are so many variables, he now believes $200,000 is the new $140,000.

“I think if a family brought in $200,000 where I live they would be in a nice position. The issue is wages haven’t gone up but everything else has,” he said.

Originally published as Aussie mining boss reveals what you can make as a chief financial officer