‘Money in and out’: FIFO expat reveals salary reality

A young worker has revealed exactly how much he earnt working FIFO and how quickly it all went.

A FIFO miner earning six figures has revealed how quickly his pay cheque disappeared thanks to the cost of living crisis.

Carpenter Jared Deacon, who is from the UK but worked on remote mining sites in Australia, told news.com.au that he earned $100,000 per year after tax, meaning he got around $1900-a-week in his bank account.

But money was quickly be eaten up by basics like $500 in rent, $400 in child support, and other financial obligations.

By the time the 24-year-old paid for all his necessities, he left with around $500 to spend weekly.

By the time the 24-year-old paid for all his necessities, he was usually only left with $500. Picture: TikTok/ itsjareddeacon

Mr Deacon shared his wage breakdown online. Picture: TikTok/ itsjareddeacon

After a video about his dwindling income went viral, Mr Deacon told news.com.au that everyone thinks that working in the mining industry is a financial dream - but the reality is often different.

“All that happens is you cram all your hours into one or two weeks, and you get a week or two weeks off,” he said.

The 24-year-old said that his hourly rate was $60 which he could have earned working in a major city.

The benefit is that when you’re working away, you don’t spend money on food, but all your other bills are still flowing in.

“I don’t think people you realise how much you sacrifice in FIFO,” he said.

Mr Deacon said Australians will tell you that you’ll make heaps of money and won’t need to do it for a long period of time.

But workers then get locked in “golden handcuffs”, meaning they’re used to earning high salaries and then need to stay working in the industry to keep up with their lifestyle.

“People get trapped in there and are in denial about it,” he said.

He said there’s a trend of people “blowing” all their money during their weeks off because they aren’t happy working away from their family and friends, and so when they finally have free time, they want to let loose.

“The majority of people end up in golden handcuffs and get sucked into it,” he explained.

Mr Deacon shared his wage breakdown online, and it drew a mixed reaction. Some felt it exposed how FIFO wasn’t worth it, and others felt that being able to save $500 per week was pretty good.

“That is why FIFO work is for single people with no worries,” one argued.

“FIFO = working too many hours on minimum wage,” another argued.

Someone else asked what the “point” was if all his money was getting chewed up on bills, and someone else called the financial reality “rough”.

He said working away from home comes at a cost. Picture: iStock

He said his hourly rate was $60. Picture: TikTok/ itsjareddeacon

The mining industry is lucrative. Picture: TikTok/ itsjareddeacon

Mr Deacon said it’s also common for people to develop gambling problems or spend too much on holidays, and then never end up buying the house they wanted, which was the original reason they decided to do FIFO work in the first place.

He explained that it is rare that anyone’s FIFO experience turns out the way they “wanted” it to, and ultimately, you’re missing out on time with your family and friends, which comes at a huge personal cost.

Mr Deacon stressed that he worked with great people and it wasn’t a regret, but wanted to make it clear that FIFO work isn’t always the financial answer that people think it is.

According to job search platform SEEK, the annual salary for a tradie jobs in Australia in 2024 ranges from $75,000 to $95,000.

The only tradie job options with a median salary above $100,000 are for those working in mining, resources and energy. According to training provider AUSINET, there are 100,000 FIFO workers in Australia. FIFO work arrangements are predominant in Western Australia and Queensland.

Originally published as ‘Money in and out’: FIFO expat reveals salary reality