For Aussies, hustling for their trade means getting out of the boring 9 – 5 job and starting your own business. With so much professional jobs out there, Australia has a shortage of skilled tradies. With such a shortage, tradies are now more valued than ever before.
With the right skills and chops, people can earn a decent chunk from being a licensed tradie. The upper 9 per cent of tradies can earn as much as $200,000 per year. Even the average tradespeople can earn a good $100,000 per year with the right field.
All these, however, are impossible if you don’t have a license. If you’re a tradie with a small business, the last thing you want is to do unlicensed work. Licensing your skills is the protection you need to make good money.
How Much Do Tradies Earn?
According to Trade Risk, some tradies who like boilermakers and electricians can earn a good $90,000 – $108,000 per year. With the growing market for Australians having more and more daily living needs, becoming a tradie now is more profitable than ever.
Being a tradesperson now is an excellent way to fill a shortage and earn good money. Tradies can make anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 a month, but you pocket only 20% of that. A typical day as a tradie will also be something the average Aussie would love.
Most tradies control what times they do their jobs. Some start early, rest around the middle of the day, and continue after a few hours of R&R. You can even choose to work fewer or more days per week, depending on what you want to do.
All these, however, is useless if you try becoming an unlicensed tradie.
How Tradies Get Good Income
Doing unlicensed trade work in Australia is, unfortunately, more common than we all want. Being unlicensed is not only illegal, but it can also cut into a lot of the long-term income that you want.
Much of the work that tradies do come from getting referrals and repeat customers. Reputation is crucial in getting good income, but the problem comes from tradies who are looking to make a quick buck. Those who don’t have a license will likely do the job now and, once problems arise, will be unavailable.
For these kinds of problems, the usual solution for the customers is to hire another tradie. Much of the bulk of the problem can drop onto the shoulders of customer who hired an unlicensed contractor. Customers will not have insurance coverage and will likely pay more to redo the job.
If you’re a tradie who doesn’t have a license, you can also expect issues to catch up.
Why Unlicensed Contracting is Not Worth it
The biggest problem for an unlicensed tradie is the government. The Aussie government and local state departments are cracking down on unlicensed work. A filed complaint is not only legal recourse for the clients that can land you to jail. Customers will likely ask for compensation for damages or losses incurred.
If you think that you can keep doing unlicensed tradecraft without getting caught, that’s also wrong. You can only service too many clients until a potential client finds out and lodges a complaint.
The worst outcome of unlicensed work, however, is the lack of long-term income. Tradies get good payments because of the trust they receive from their clients. Unlicensed work means you don’t have the right qualifications to do the job, tantamount to fraud.
At most, if your work is not up to standard, you’re likely to go for a second visit. If you get a deposit upfront and the client notices the problems, you won’t go back to get the remaining half. Most customers who are unhappy with your service will push for a refund or a free repair.
By not doing it right the first time and up to snuff, being a tradie will lose you money instead of earning it. A license, however, resolves this problem.
How Licensed Work Earns You More Money
Licensed contracting emphasises the use of best practices and following standards set by the industry. While best practices would seem advantageous only to the client, it is also an advantage for you. Following standards save you time and money, which gives you a better income at the end.
A license is also an advantage. Having a license and insurance means clients can be at peace and trust your work. Since licensing needs you to know which standards and rules to follow, having one is a badge of trust. The clients can be sure that, against all the odds, you’re doing it up to spec.
Higher trust on your work from your clients translates to more referrals. More referrals mean more money and a higher income in your chosen trade.
Get the Qualifications You Need to Be Licensed For Success
If you’re looking to earn more money, becoming a tradie will give you a great future in Australia. Good money and good demand will make sure that you have a consistent job. Aim to get a license to become a legitimate tradie!
Let our team help you obtain the qualifications you need to become a licensed contractor in Australia. Remember – working without a license is a waste of time and money. You won’t get far doing unlicensed contracting, as it can either land you hefty fines or refunds. The last thing you want as a tradie is to lose the trust of your clients.
Are you ready to earn some good money? Let’s start by discussing your current qualifications and what else you need to fulfil all other requirements for getting a license. Contact us today and we’ll help you get qualified! 1300 656 498.
