Well-paid work is no pipedream

Daniel Scudder readily admits he's had a good run in Perth.

Since returning from London six years ago after a two-year stint, the 31-year-old piping designer has ridden the resources wave.

Mr Scudder, who has just started a new job at Primero Group, said he has worked for companies on mostly oil and gas projects while his wife, Cara, 28, has worked for several big mining firms based in the city.

Both earning six-figure salaries, they bought a property near the coast, which they later turned into an investment when they bought another house in the northern suburbs.

"For only a year's TAFE course and a four-year traineeship, it's certainly well-paid," Mr Scudder said.

"You see people who have been to university and they don't earn what is available in this industry in Perth. A lot of people have to work offshore or overseas to earn the same."