Sometimes a move preserves income; sometimes training or entering a different occupation means earning less at first. The useful question is what your actual entry route, not an occupation average, would pay.
Start with your ordinary pay and then separate reliable overtime, shift penalties, site allowances and other compensation. Compare working hours and nights away too. A new salary may look similar while requiring more days or unpaid commuting.
Look at published pay ranges for jobs at your realistic entry level, relevant awards or agreements, and employer pay scales. Note whether the employer asks for a licence, supervised hours or experience you do not yet have. Where the ad does not give a salary, record the figure as unknown until verified.
Research different employers, internal transfers, roles that use your existing industry experience and study while employed. None guarantees unchanged earnings; the point is to compare verified options before resigning or paying for training.
Estimate the training period, realistic income during training, fees and other direct costs. Our free calculator compares your own input assumptions against staying on current pay. It does not forecast offers, tax or wage growth.
A pay reduction may be acceptable to some people for better hours or work they prefer. Others need to protect their current income. CareerValue helps make that trade-off visible without telling you which decision to make or promising a pay rise.
Use the full career-change checklist →