I'm a young apprentice and I know I'm not alone when I say this about my job: 'My mind is filled with worries'
A young apprentice who's still living week to week after two years on the job is worried that he might never be able to start a family on his dwindling earnings.
Noah Collison, 19, shared his fears and doubts in a TikTok video, revealing he was increasingly worried about his future in the industry.
The apprentice carpenter who works at Master Builders in South Australia said he could not imagine a future where he could provide for his family.
'Being an apprentice tradie nowadays in Australia is f***ed bro,' he said.
'The amount of work that we do does not compare or match up with the amount of money that we make.
'I've got my missus and we're going to have a future family together [but] is this going to be enough to provide for my family?
'And I have the dream of travelling around Australia in my car but I can't do that because I'm living paycheque to paycheque.'
Mr Collison's complaints are not new and many before him have argued that junior salaries for apprentices in the construction industry are barely liveable.
Noah Collison, 19, is two years into his tradie apprenticeship and he is beginning to worry that the job will never provide him with a liveable wage
Mr Collison said it was not just him that felt this way and that he had heard the same complaints from others as well.
'I feel like there is a lot of us that are in this similar situation and if you've been thinking about it too it's not just you and I fully understand it as well,' he said.
'When you first start the apprenticeship you think, "it'll be good in four years time or it's something to just pass the time or something to get me started".
'But you don't actually realise until you're about halfway through that you're stuck and for me the past couple of months I've really started to realise that this could be me for the rest of my life which has now filled my mind with all these worries.'
The young tradie asked anyone who feels the same way to reach out to him if they needed someone to talk to about their dire situation.
Social media users were split on how to take Mr Collison's message with some agreeing that his life was hard while others suggested he just needed to tough it out.
'Yeah it's a joke, I want to get out before I get stuck,' one person agreed.
'You're not alone bro that's what every one of us went through as apprentices just keep going, then it’s worth it trust me,' a second said.
Apprentice or junior tradies make remarkably little money when they first start out in the profession but many commenters urged Mr Collison to stick it out (stock pictured)
Many people agreed with the latter sentiment and assured Mr Collison that his time spent as an apprentice would be worth it in the end.
'Young people just want to get rich quick. When I was an apprentice at 19 I put my head down and worked. Now I’m earning a very good wage,' one man said.
'You get out what you put in bro. I’m a multimillionaire now, did two apprenticeships,' another agreed.
'Start at the bottom and struggle a bit but then once you're set up it’s go time. Got to crawl first, walk then run.'
MIGAS Apprentices and Trainees revealed Australian wages for apprentices in 2025 were surprisingly low.
Those under 17 years old can expect to earn about $581.32 each week, equating to about $14.53 an hour over 40 hours per week.
Seventeen to 20-year-olds typically earn $635.63 per week, about $15.89 an hour while those over 21 years old earn about $954.10 per week, about $23.85 an hour.
Young apprentices can earn as little as the $581 per week figure, while a fellow 17-year-old labouring can earn as much as $32 an hour.
Apprenticeships Are Us Ltd (ARU) general manager Phil Cooksey fears wages are not keeping up with inflation, but many businesses are strapped for cash and in no position to pay more.
'The current cost of living pressure, especially in the Sydney area, is probably the biggest culprit for people quitting their apprenticeships,' he said.
'It's unfortunate because completing an apprenticeship offers long-term benefits, including valuable qualifications, real-world experience, and highly competitive pay.'
