Earning more money is always top of mind for tradies. For some, it can feel like you’re constantly chasing your tail, just trying to keep up. But here’s the thing: if you’re not yet ready to start your own business (or that’s not even on your radar yet), you’ve still got plenty of ways to maximise what you’re earning as an employed tradie.

Being a subby versus being an employee is an important consideration for tradies who may be looking to take the next step in their career. Being employed certainly comes with its upsides. In theory, it’s a safer position for those who are more risk-averse.

Being an employed tradie is no walk in the park. The work can be tough, the days long, and the pressure constant to deliver top-quality work on time. Still, just because you’re grinding hard on-site every day doesn’t mean you should be underpaid or taken advantage of.

Let’s be real — if you’re an employed tradie, you probably spend a fair chunk of cash on tools, boots, uniforms, and gear each year. But here’s the good news: you might be able to claim a heap of it back at tax time if you know what you’re doing.

Upskilling to get paid more is a surefire way to maximise the amount of money per unit of time you’re pulling in. If you’ve made the choice to remain an employed tradie — or at least for the foreseeable future — this is exactly how you should be thinking about it: maximising your value per unit of time.