Electricians and other skilled tradespeople working on major infrastructure projects in Australia are reportedly earning up to A$450,000 a year as demand surges for workers building data centres and tunnelling projects.
Tim Cullen, chief executive of trades vehicle-hire company TradieSpec, said experienced workers could earn between A$250,000 and A$300,000 through a combination of base pay, overtime and penalty rates, with some receiving as much as A$400,000 to A$450,000.
He said the highest salaries were being offered on demanding specialist projects, particularly data-centre construction and underground infrastructure, where qualified electricians are in short supply.
“It’s evidence of a blue-collar gold rush that’s happening in real time,” Mr Cullen said in comments shared on social media, describing Australia as being in a construction “super cycle”.
The boom is being fuelled by rapid investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Commonwealth Bank estimates Australia’s data-centre development pipeline could be worth about A$150 billion by 2030, with around six gigawatts of potential capacity under consideration.
The bank said the scale of the expansion would create intense competition for tradespeople, as well as placing pressure on supplies of construction materials, land, electricity and grid connections.
Denita Wawn, chief executive of Master Builders Australia, has warned that the country needs an additional 115,000 workers for residential construction alone. A further 300,000 or more will be required for commercial and civil projects, she said.
The Electrical Trades Union has also raised concerns that data-centre developers and other major employers could draw electricians away from housebuilding and smaller construction firms by offering significantly higher wages.
Jobs and Skills Australia has estimated that the country could need about 32,000 additional electricians in the coming years as major infrastructure and clean-energy projects expand, adding to the competition for qualified workers.
