Wages up 3.4%, but some trades are pulling ahead while others lag
The latest official data says wages in Australia are up 3.4%. On paper, that sounds decent. On site, not so much. While some parts of the industry are starting to recover, many of the tradies doing the hardest work are still scrambling not to fall behind, the gap between trades looks like it is widening.
The average is up, but not every trade is hitting the accelerator at the same time.
The 3.4% wage growth figure comes from the Wage Price Index. Yes, it is solid. It is the official measure tracking how wages move across the country. The number also gets dressed up nicely with the claim that it has just edged past inflation, meaning real wages technically grew, even if only by a narrow margin.
But here comes the buzzkill: That figure is a national average. And like any average, it only tells part of the story. How it feels depends a lot more on where you sit than on who is reading the headline. For plenty of tradies, the cost of living is still chewing through pay rises, and the market does not feel like it is on their side.
Why averages don’t match site reality
The key issue is that it is an average. The index tracks base wages and formal pay rises, It leaves out overtime, side hustles, irregular contracts and one-off renegotiations. It also ignores the costs that really squeeze wallets on site, fuel, tools, food and everything else that keeps climbing.
Yes, some wages have risen slightly above inflation. But the margin is thin. For tradies outside the busiest or most in-demand roles, the increase can feel more like loose change than real progress. If inflation ticks up again, those extra dollars disappear just as quickly as they showed up.
“An average doesn’t pay the rent or fill the tank.”
Some trades move forward, others get stuck in the mud
This is where the data gets a bit more telling. Inside the report, there is another split worth paying attention to. Wages in the public sector are growing closer to 3.8%, while the private sector is sitting around 3.2%. That gap matters, especially if your work depends entirely on private jobs.
On the ground, this turns into uneven pay outcomes depending on trade, location and project type. Tradies tied to major infrastructure, large-scale builds or clear labour shortages tend to have more leverage at the table. Others, especially where competition is tighter, feel the increase fade away well before payday. The 3.4% figure is not wrong but it is incomplete, It does not land the same way for everyone.
What this number actually means for tradies
For some, the wage headline brings a small sense of relief, but it pays to read it realistically. Wages are rising, that part is true, but they are not rising evenly, some tradies are starting to claw back lost ground, while others are still stuck in inflation’s quicksand.
For tradies, the takeaway is uncomfortable but clear. An average is not a guarantee. What really matters is the type of work you do, where the market sits, and how much room you have to negotiate. In an industry where labour is still critical and deadlines keep tightening, knowing where your trade stands is almost as important as the pay rise itself.
Because at the end of the day, wages can look good in a headline. On site, the only thing that matters is whether they actually stretch far enough.
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