Young worker reveals why she walked away from her $180,000+ job

A young worker earning a jaw-dropping salary has revealed why she decided to leave behind her lucrative career.

A young worker has revealed why she quit her job, despite earning more than $186,000 a year.

Taleah Jayne, 22, decided not to extend her contract with a mining company because she didn’t want to “lock herself” into the fly-in and fly-out (FIFO) lifestyle for another three months.

The pay is often a huge draw for workers looking to get into the mining industry. 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 trade job options with a median salary above $100,000 are for those working in mining, resources and energy.

The only tradie job options with a median salary above $100,000 are for those working in mining, resources and energy. Picture: Supplied

Taleah Jayne said that when a conversation about extending her contract came up, she realised she was done. Picture: Supplied

Ms Jayne said that when a conversation about extending her contract came up, she realised just how badly she wanted to “get out ASAP”.

“I didn’t realise how much I wanted to get out of FIFO until I got given an ultimatum on if I wanted to stay or go,” she said.

Ms Jayne said that once she wasn’t keen to extend her contract, that was it, and even though she’s lost such a lucrative career, she’s happy.

She said she has “gained so much” since leaving the industry.

The 22-year-old, who had been working FIFO for over four years, explained that she can now focus on her mental health and spend time with friends and family.

She was also in a good position to leave. She’d built up her savings, had added to her investments and made enough money to help out her siblings.

Since she left she has been able to spend more time with her family. Picture: Supplied

The 22-year-old now has more work/life balence. Picture: Instagram

Ms Jayne said that she enjoyed the routine of FIFO life, but ultimately, it could be pretty lonely and not easy to make mates.

“The hardest thing about FIFO for me was making friends in the early stages. A huge part of Australian culture is smoking cigarettes and vaping together for a chat or having a beer or two after work,” she told news.com.au.

“Being a non-smoker and non-drinker, it made it really hard for me to make friends in the beginning because nicotine and the smell of alcohol gave me headaches so I couldn’t spend much time forming friendships outside of work.”

However, there were also benefits. Sure, she was away from her friends and family, but she enjoyed the structure.

“The best thing about FIFO for me was having a strict schedule. Waking up at the exact same time every day, knowing what was planned for the day, going to the gym every day and overall having the cost of living sliced to $0 when on site, other than my auto payments,” she said.

She’s now started a cleaning business. Picture: Supplied

The young worker decided to walk away because she wanted more work-life balance and wasn’t sure she would get the progression she needed.

“The moment I realised FIFO wasn’t worth it anymore was when I took a look at the offer my company was making – realising they weren’t prepared to help me transition into other avenues to gain experience,” she said.

“Sometimes you really are just a number to these big mining companies and, after checking my savings and investment accounts, I realised I had saved almost 7 to 8 months’ worth of living expenses anyway, so I decided to take the leap of faith and allow my contract to end.”

Now, she’s started CleanWave, a company that offers both residential and commercial

cleaning.

“I worked in hospitality for four years and had multiple hours of hygiene and cleaning training given to me, as well as starting my first ever FIFO job as a utility/housekeeper as well,” she said.

“I want to use the skills I’ve developed in my working career to work for me now and hopefully help others looking to get into the industry as well.”

Originally published as Young worker reveals why she walked away from her $180,000+ job