If you’ve been on the study grind for the last three or four years and it’s all about to come to an end, you might be considering where you might spend those first few years of your working life. Mining graduates across Australia can often find placements in remote areas, but more and more mining graduates are looking for lifestyle over the big dollars.
There are some great locations around Australia for mining graduates, but three cities have now been named in the finalists overall for graduates. The winners were judged on several factors including expected employment income, living costs, job availability and of course the cost of a great meal plus a beer and wine.
Mining graduate city #1 – Kalgoorlie
Believe it or not, Kalgoorlie Boulder is the nation’s top pick. Graduate jobs in mining have been on the rise in the region and with the highest average net salary across all graduate jobs of $ 6,368.78, your living will be a breeze. To round it out, the living costs for a one-bedder apartment are just around $980 making it totally affordable on a graduates initial salary. According to a little belated data (2017) from the Department of Jobs and Small Business 95% of apprentice/entry level job vacancies are now filled in Western Australia. It’s the highest percentage of any Australian state… so the town is booming. BTW a 500ml bottle of local beer is only around $1.32 in Kalgoorlie compared to the national average of around $4.40..so it’s gotta be good right.
Graduate city #2 – Ballarat
Coming in at # 2, Ballarat was up against some tough competition from the likes of Mt Isa, Mackay, Gunnedah, Orange and Singleton. Mining is booming along down in Victoria and there’s plenty of opportunities emerging in new projects…plus it’s a stone’s throw to sunny Melbourne or a short drive up the road to Sydney (Ok we lied…it’s a bloody long drive to Sydney). The average monthly salary in Ballarat is $4,640.33 net, while the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom inner-city apartment is $1,252.1 making it a great location for a graduate to set themselves up for a big future in the mining industry.
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Graduate city #3 – Gold Coast
We debated long and hard about this one but the data says it all. If you can snag a FIFO job the Gold Coast is the place for you. With an average monthly salary across all graduate positions at $3,808 net and an average monthly rent price of $1,783.84, then the Gold Coast could be a winner.
The Gold Coast offers graduates the benefit of a good regional and international airport, lifestyle, lifestyle and did we mention lifestyle? Of course, the Queensland mining industries swag of new projects plus Adani looks like it’s going to be boom time again. If a FIFO role exists for a graduate, then the Gold Coast might just be a little better than Broken Hill or Mudgee. It depends really what you might be into!
So there you have it. Three awesome locations for mining graduates. All with unique benefits and opportunities.
Don’t forget though key mining cities like Brisbane and Perth also have great mining graduate opportunities but the costs of living can also outweigh some of the costs of living in the regional centres. The future looks bright and rosy for those recent mining graduates who might just be able find a great role with the lifestyle to match.
References: http://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/VacancyReport, https://docs.jobs.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/almu_april_2019.pdf
