The ATO has revealed the top ten highest-paid jobs Australians can get without a university degree, with one paying an average of $153,000.
According to data recently published by the tax authority, air traffic controllers have the highest salaries among those who do not have a degree.
They earn an average of $153,445 per year, followed by pilots who typically earn $143,403.
Train drivers earn about $132,000 a year, followed by coal miners, who can scrape together $130,000.
Helicopter pilots are close behind, with $20,000 less than pilots, taking home about $125,000 on average each year.
Railroad signal operators earn $124,000 for their work, while station managers are not far behind at $115,000.
Real estate agents made a surprising appearance on the list with an average salary of $112,000 per year, while crane operators and auctioneers rounded out the top ten with $109,000 and $102,000.
The list sparked outrage among many, who admitted that while the jobs do not require a college education, most do require some form of intensive training.
Train drivers earn about $132,000 a year
Many are also as expensive or more expensive than obtaining a college degree.
“Yes, I’m a pilot and you don’t need a license, just about $150,000 in other training,” one man said.
“You don’t need a degree to be a helicopter pilot here, but you do have to study hard and pass exams. Once you’ve done that, you’re usually $80,000 in debt.”
“My husband is a zone train controller. He doesn’t have a college degree, but the internship was very intense. More than my college degree,” said another woman.
Others claimed the average salary was “skewed.”
“Some real estate agents make a lot, but the rest of us make well under $100,000,” one woman said after viewing the listing.
Coal miners who can raise $130,000
“I’m a miner, I work weekends and I make $174,000 a year. I don’t know many workers who make as little as $130,000.”
Some races were completely excluded from the list, leaving many perplexed.
“I’m a state director of daycare centers here, I don’t have a college degree and I’m doing very well,” said one woman.
‘Worker here, earns $180,000.’
“It’s easy to make $2,000 a week driving trucks,” said another. “You can make $4,000 if you can do it.”
“I’m a scaffolder making $190,000,” said another.
The highest-paying jobs in Australia remain those that require extensive postgraduate training.
These include surgeons, who earn an average of $460,000 a year, anesthesiologists, who earn about $430,000, and financial brokers, who can earn an average of $373,000.
