Real estate agent ‘paid to stand there’ after taking on controversial '$200,000 job' as side hustle: 'Bludge'

An Aussie worker has been praised for his honesty after revealing he took on a second “bludge job” as a traffic controller to pay the bills. The man, who is a real estate agent by trade, has been working a side gig as a traffic controller for the past three years and was raking in $35 an hour doing the job.

The man isn't the first to say he landed the gig after doing a two-day course. But it's a stark contrast to the years needed for a university degree, which also attracts serious HECS-HELP debt.

The lucrative job has sparked controversy recently for its high pay packet, with some workers making up to $200,000 a year.

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While some traffic controllers have hit back at people who think they are making bank for “easy” work, the Logan worker said this was actually the reality for him.

“Anyone who wants a sort of bludge job where you don’t have to do much - traffic control is definitely the way to go,” he said in a TikTok posted by recruitment app Getahead.

“You literally get paid to stand here and apart from that there are definitely worse gigs out there.”

The worker said the side job allowed him to “meet a lot of people” who often asked for his real estate expertise. Ultimately, though, he said the “flexible” job was a way to make easy money.

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He noted he was able to pick and choose the hours he worked and could accept or decline shifts that were offered to him the night before.

The video was then cut short by another worker on site who interrupted the chat to tell him the “supervisor is getting a bit upset” about the interview.

‘Honest’ traffic controller praised

The Brisbane worker received positive feedback online, with many people thanking him for being “honest” about his pay and his experience on the job.

“Finally a traffic controller that isn’t making 10k a week,” one person wrote.

“Finally an honest traffic controller,” another said.

“He tells the truth,” a third person said.

The average salary for a real estate agent in Australia is $115,000 per year, according to Talent. Entry-level positions start at $75,000, while experienced workers can make up to $160,000 per year on average.

The average traffic control salary is $77,874 per year, or $39,94 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $61,256 per year and go up to $96,130 per year on average for more experienced workers.

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