Roadside traffic controllers are often given little thought on a trip across Australia, a flash of hi-vis and they're gone. But one young Aussie is turning heads after revealing just how much they earn.
19-year-old Nyah Covey went viral this week after sharing how show how much traffic controllers bringhome in pay. It's enough to make you stop and take notice.
Responding to the popular trend "What I make a week", Nyah goes on to explain how she can make up to AU$700 a day thanks to penalty rates. They're long hours by the road, but she reveals she can make a dependable AU$400 a day. Working Sunday entitles Nyah to additional income, making almost double that at AU$700 ($795).
This is based on a 12 hour shift, so it's not your 9 till five. However the rewards are huge.
Making up to AU$2,700 ($3,070) a week and AU$10800 ($12295) a month, before tax - it's a lucrative money spinner many TikTokers may not have considered.
However, apart from gruelling hours, Nyah says the job is both boring and dangerous.
She hit back at claims she was overpaid.
"We are risking our lives," she told one viewer on TikTok. "People don't understand what we actually do! It's not just holding a sign."
What I make a week as a traffic controller. Photo / Tiktok; @nyahcovey
She says that it can be difficult with drivers dishing out abuse and sometimes ignoring the rules.
"There are a lot of hard and stressful days especially if we're out working on a highway," she writes and there are quiet weeks when money is less dependable.
"Definitely some weeks that are quiet but the busy weeks make up for it," she wrote. "I love it."
Last year a Melbourne-based traffic controller hit back at social media accounts glamourising the gig.
"I've been seeing a lot of TikToks in regards to traffic control and they're all positive, they're all good. They tell you how much money they make and how many hours they work and what not," traffic controller Maria Kefalas, told 7news.
Apart from long hours in unpredictable weather, the casual work means that that roadside traffic controllers can go from no work in a month, to working seven days back-to-back for 4 weeks.
