What's been your best paying job?

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I've had some pretty lousy paying job's, here in Australia we have a pretty high cost of living, the highest in the world currently actually, so my wage as a first year apprentice of $230 a week was pretty miserable, just over a third of our mimimum wage at the time, but even after finishing my apprenticeship and working as a tradesman I've had to work for as little as $15 an hour, i've also had some well paying jobs, working at the local power stations, but always short term contract work, so when I landed my first construction job working for Bechtel welding pipe on a liquid natural gas plant last year it was a pretty big eye opener for me.I've now moved onto my second construction job in the gas industry with another large American company, I did some sum's last night, adding up my hourly wage, benifits, leave ect, on day shift it averages out to $106 an hour, night shift $148 an hour, which includes 30 leave days per year (paid out at the end of the job if i havnt taken them), redundancy payment, superanuation contribution, base hourly wage, mandatory overtime (standard working week here is 40 hours, OT rate is X1.5 for the first two hours of OT on weekdays, and x2 more then two hours, and on all weekends) and daily travel allowance, we work a 58 hour week.This jobs only going to last a year and i'll probably be going back to an average wage after that, but goddamn
Reply:Well, I've just tumbled back into the 'real' world after working oil & gas, and just recently the iron ore gig for most of my adult life. (I'll consider my military time as the best of time/job ever and reckon I never grew up, barring a bit of 'post').Anyhoo, when I left the mines just recently, I was on AUD $63.00 an hour - flat, dayshift & nightshift, holidays, etc. 2 weeks on - 1 week off. Last tax return I earned AUD $186,000. My son, after he finished his trade (boilermaker), was over AUD $200,00. Not bad for a 21 year old.
Reply:WOW! You guys sure make good money. I always worked for minimum wage. Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Wow is right. Should i move to australia?   Lol.  Im assuming your dollar is pretty close in worth to ours.Dynasty 200DX   (2014)Millermatic 211 (2015)Optrel 864   (2014)Smith Medium duty MBA 30510 (Xmas 2014)Tennsmith 16ga 4ft finger brake (2015)Trailblazer 325 EFI and excel Thermal dynamics Cutmaster 82Miller maxtron 450
Reply:It depends on how one considers pay. There is a lot of stuff to factor in other than dollars to the bank.
Reply:Well outdoort, currently we get about 71 aud cents to the US dollar, and on my income atm im paying 43% income tax
Reply:So in usd it works out to be $2130 after tax income on day shift, or $3110 after tax on nightshift, plus end of job redudency ($300 ish per  week), superanuation (9.5% on 40 hour base salery) and 30 days leave per year, leave payout (if i  havnt  taken any leave that is) and redundancy of course  are taxed as  well
Reply:Originally Posted by ttoksWell outdoort, currently we get about 71 aud cents to the US dollar, and on my income atm im paying 43% income tax
Reply:Originally Posted by reccymechFinished up paying 49 cents in the dollar tax..err...49% tax. No rebate on private health insurance, and all the other 'tax's' to smash anyone who wants to 'work' hard away from family/friends/lifestyle. Sorta over the Australian Government and all the political parties. 'We' taxpayers pay for their largesse.
Reply:you guys down under are getting hosed by mr. taxman. i've been blessed to have decent paying jobs 98 percent of my career. right now i'm behind in contract but can add 40 percent annually in ot.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Back in the mid 80'S i was taking home over 800$ a week just for playing my drums in a band.That was the easiest $$$$ I ever made....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Back in the early 90's, I was making $1000 - $1400, for working Fri, Sat & Sun. I was a wedding photographer for my family business!!! The good ole days, work out, screw off and chase tail all week!"Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:I'm glad to hear some of you guys earn more than me.   I sit on a leather chair in air conditioning and punch the plastic keys on my keyboard and go clicky clicky on the mouse pad, and talk on conf calls a lot too.  Of course they call it something else in my job description. I do this all from my home mostly so I don't even have many commuter horror stories. To make matters worse it is horribly steady pay- salaried.  So seriously, my hat is off to all of y'all doing this for a living.
Reply:I make 60k salary. 10-20k in bonuses and 40k on the side last year
Reply:1978/1979/1980 :Best paying job per hour, when translated into today's dollars.....  At that time I was about 20 years old and I was making about $800/week, doing this, 3750 feet underground :After that I spent many years working for myself as a lawn and garden equipment mechanic/dealer and I still would (and did) give up a lot of dollars per hour to be my own boss....
Reply:i have the lousiest working conditions ever and am 6 years without a raise but a 3 to 5 hour workday makes up for a lot.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:I can see the atraction doc, at the  moment my alarm gos at 4.30am, leave for  work at 5.15, get to site at about  6.30 (leaves enoughtime for a  coffe and cigarette) to  start at 6.55. Leave site  at 5.25pm  and get home at 6.30-6.45 depending on traffic, from waking to home is a  14 hour  day, 6-7 days a wesk, hard work with a wife and 8 month old daughter to be there for as well, once apon a time i worked a 7-3 job, had alot more time, but with the cost of living here  at was enough to get by, not ahead, since working in oil and gas  (one year) ive been able to clear all of my debt, buy my wife a safe car to drive my daughter in outright and buy a house, hopefully this job will pay the house off, and we'll be completly debt free   homeowners by time im 25Last edited by ttoks; 07-13-2015 at 05:16 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by ttoksI can see the atraction doc, at the  moment my alarm gos at 4.30am, leave for  work at 5.15, get to site at about  6.30 (leaves enoughtime for a  coffe and cigarette) to  start at 6.55. Leave site  at 5.25pm  and get home at 6.30-6.45 depending on traffic, from waking to home is a  14 hour  day, 6-7 days a wesk, hard work with a wife and 8 month old daughter to be there for as well, once apon a time i worked a 7-3 job, had alot more time, but with the cost of living here  at was enough to get by, not ahead, since working in oil and gas  (one year) ive been able to clear all of my debt, buy my wife a safe car to drive my daughter in outright and buy a house, hopefully this job will pay the house off, and we'll be completly debt free   homeowners by time im 25
Reply:Geez. It's hard to say. I've turned machine deals that made me a couple grand clear net and up just to take a picture of it and email someone.For the most part it doesn't happen that way. I don't make much now, but I don't have any debt (besides my house note) and all my machinery is paid for. I can live quite comfortably on $25K a year.Not having insurance is a killer tho.
Reply:Originally Posted by docwelderyou guys down under are getting hosed by mr. taxman. i've been blessed to have decent paying jobs 98 percent of my career. right now i'm behind in contract but can add 40 percent annually in ot.
Reply:Being self-employed has it's ups and downs as 7A says.  Some days will net me $10/hr, some will net me $200/hr.  I have a certain figure in mind that I want my days to average out at, and that's the important thing.  The trick is to spend less, preferably A LOT less, than you make.  Because I'll be darned if I want to still be doing this at age 70...
Reply:Originally Posted by tbone550Being self-employed has it's ups and downs as 7A says.  Some days will net me $10/hr, some will net me $200/hr.  I have a certain figure in mind that I want my days to average out at, and that's the important thing.  The trick is to spend less, preferably A LOT less, than you make.  Because I'll be darned if I want to still be doing this at age 70...
Reply:We salvaged two ski boats that collided and sunk to 60'. The honest bill with hours and equipment for both came to $4500.  The insurance company laughed at me and told me to at least triple my charge next time.  They never had such a low bill. They said no one ever starts a salvage for under $10,000. Then I got paid the same month $200 to dive for a set of dentures.  It was pure luck I found those.  Not exactly welding jobs, although the first involved a lot of welding and hoisting equipment.Last edited by blackbart; 07-13-2015 at 11:30 PM.
Reply:hard for me to post, but best i ever made was 85$ per hour. minus fuel. minus rod. minus hotel. minus wear/ tear. came out to about 30$my real job paid me better as an apprentice than now. they didn't know it i found out later, but they were paying me the state mandated wages for a plumbing apprentice, which topped at 39$ with the truck, fuel, benefits, and low responsiblility. LOVED IT!!!going tomorrow to look at another job on my own. i know now that 85$ is not near enough.  . . . .my real jobs gunna be pissed if i get it.bosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:A recent one is I plasma cut a 2' metal sign from rusted 3/16" thick steel which took at the very most 5 minutes and got $250 for it. All I had into it was the 5 minutes and the value of the rusted steel which was probably 10 cents to be honest since it came from a large pile of surface rusted sheet and plate steel I got for $500. Didn't have to powder coat it. When I say a large pile I am talking about 75 sheets or so of 10 gauge, 3/16, and 1/4, and 3/8. Some partial and some full. In that was 14 12' sheets of 3/16" alone. That was  a happy day for me. heck I still get jollies from looking at that pile of steel. If my math is right that would have been $3000 an hours pay. Unfortunately it was just 5 min worth for that job but that's cool. I almost felt guilty..Best paying job for me was Johnston atoll working in jacads as title maintenance pipe welder from jan.96 until june 98.You could save what you made because all living expenses were furnished by uncle sam military dinning hall dormitory rm base exchange store,remote site diff. pay 30% of gross earnings bonus after 1st 12months then every 6 months,work 8 weeks off 2. Yes that was a good one.
Reply:I work 8hr days, 187 days out of the year, for ~$50k pre-deductions.  Equivalent of $33/hr, $267/day.  Not bad for me.  What do I do the other 178 days of the year?  Vacations.  Such as right now.  Last edited by Oscar; 07-14-2015 at 02:14 PM. 1st on WeldingWeb to have a scrolling sig! HTP Invertig 400HTP Invertig 221HTP ProPulse 300HTP ProPulse 200 x2HTP ProPulse 220MTSHTP Inverarc 200TLP HTP Microcut 875SC
Reply:"I've had to work for as little as $15 an hour""$106 an hour""be going back to an average wage after that"Huh Im getting ripped blind!You guys are giving the wrong impression of what normal wages are here...$20~28 an hour is about the blue collar average.My highest earning is $54 an hour on OT, I get that rate weather its monday or xmas day(12hr shifts)Last edited by Harry72; 07-15-2015 at 08:13 AM.