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The Dog That Didn't Bark
A young UK woman has been left feeling cashed-up after getting paid for a month’s work in Australia.
British backpacker Rae said she took home $3900 after a month of working as a waitress.
She did the same job back home and earned a mere £600 ($1160 AUD) for her efforts.
‘Why was I waitressing in the UK for such little money?’ she said in a TikTok.
Rae went on to explain she also works less in Australia – putting in 30-hour weeks instead of 45-hour weeks.
‘Come to Australia. I am just waitressing, it is a simple job. I just give people their food,’ she said.
‘I get $30-per-hour on weekdays, $35-per-hour on Saturdays and $42 on Sundays.’
Rae explained she got paid monthly in the UK and fortnightly in Australia. So she waited to receive two pay cheques from her Aussie boss before making the video.
She works at a hotel and lives on the premises in a shared room with one other staff member.
This costs just $150-per-week and is taken out of her pay before she sees the money.
‘My first pay cheque was $1800 and my second was $2100,’ she said in a second video.
Even after the $600 was taken out of her rent she was making three times as much as she would have at home.
‘I am not saying the grass is greener.. but,’ she said.
‘This video is to help any backpackers thinking about moving to Australia! I’m in no way bragging, spreading hate or misinformation.’
In other videos she has revealed that Australia has he whole heart.
But Australians were divided over the short clip. Some slammed Rae for making Australia look like a place of opportunity.
‘No, don’t move here, we have a housing crisis!’ one said.
‘Where can you work for that, I am Aussie and don’t have a job that pays that for 30 hours,’ another wrote.
Casual wait staff get paid a minimum of $29.04-per-hour in Australia
‘Yeah it’s easy to earn that but rent is expensive – your rent situation is what’s saving you,’ another added.
However, others agreed with everything she said.
‘$1000-per-week is pretty standard for Australia,’ one wrote.
‘For those asking you can look up our award wages for restaurants $29.04 per hour is the minimum for a casual,’ someone else added.
And other travellers from the UK chimed in to agree.
‘Been trying to tell my little sisters this for ten years I’ve been here. Wages are super good,’ one wrote
Another said: ‘Omg girl same, I’m on so much more than I would be in the UK—and things are cheaper here too, it’s a win win.’
