So you want to go on a working holiday Down Under? Here’s what you need to know about the top job opportunities in Australian for working holidaymakers.
Thousands of backpackers flock to Australia each year for a working holiday.
And with sunny weather, sandy beaches and so many exciting metropolitan cities to visit, it’s easy to see why so many travel to Oz.
With so much to organize before you travel, it can be stressful to plan a working holiday.
But don’t worry, that’s why we’ve created this guide to help you land a job when you arrive in Australia.
Of course, the list will start with the hospitality sector – one of the most popular sectors to work in as a working holidaymaker in Australia.
The hospitality sector is a great area to work in if you’re a people person and enjoy interacting with the public.
Note that in the hospitality sector you’ll be paid at least the minimum hourly wage (which as of 2022 is $21.38 per hour), if not more. More often than not you’re also paid more per hour if you’re working on public holidays.
1. Bar attendant
Working as a bar attendant is one of the jobs in hospitality, which is in fact in high demand in Australia.
This job involves preparing, mixing, and serving drinks to customers.
Responsibilities
Your responsibilities are to make drinks and sell them to customers which of course involves taking payments.
Then another main responsibility is to keep the bar area clean.
Requirements
To work with alcohol in Australia you need to have a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certification. You can complete this course online, in fact, it would be a great idea to acquire the certificate before travelling to Australia.
Pay
As a bartender in Australia, you can typically make a couple of dollars over the minimum wage per hour.
2. Cafe workers
Another position in the hospitality sector to consider is working in a cafe. This is a broad job in comparison to being a barista as you can be involved in more than only making coffee.
Responsibilities
Your job in a cafe can include making coffee and ensuring surrounding areas stay clean.
You could also be involved in taking orders, preparing, and serving drinks and food.
Requirements
There are no specific job requirements for working in a cafe in Australia, however, prior experience is always welcome.
Pay
You can expect to be paid at least the minimum wage.
3. Waiter/Waitress
Let’s not forget one of the main jobs in Australia backpackers can consider – waiter/waitress. This is a high-demand job in Australia.
Responsibilities
As a waiter/waitress, you may have different responsibilities depending on the way the restaurant/bar/hotel/etc. you work for is organized.
Some of your responsibilities could be:
Greeting customers and providing them with menus
Taking food and/or drink orders
Setting up tables and arranging them
Taking care of payments
Requirements
There are no specific requirements but having prior experience is an advantage.
Pay
As a waiter/waitress, you’ll be making at least the minimum wage per hour, if not more.
Read also:
The Best Places to Find a Working Holiday Job in Australia
4. Crop farm worker
Backpacker farm jobs in Australia are a popular choice, specifically because working a regional job can often give you the opportunity to extend your visa.
Make sure that if you take up a ‘regional’ job in the hope of extending your visa, that the job you take up does in fact provide this opportunity.
One of the types of farmwork backpackers opt for is crop farmwork.
Something to note about farm work is that it’s not easy and can be physically demanding and a lot of the work is done outside.
Responsibilities
Some of the things you could be doing are:
Preparing the soil for sowing
Planting crops
Spraying crops with chemicals that’ll protect them from weeds, etc.
Requirements
There are no specific requirements, however, being qualified in any of the following can be an advantage:
Horticulture
Agriculture
Production
Rural operations
Pay
You’ll be receiving at least the minimum wage as pay, however, if you are offered a bed and meals you may be receiving less than the minimum wage.
Receiving a lower wage but having a bed and meals is actually something a lot of backpackers are willing to trade with since the majority of the money they’ll receive can go into savings for travelling around Australia.
5. Fruit picker
Fruit picking is another one of Australia’s agricultural jobs, also popular amongst backpackers.
Similar to farm work it’s often a choice for working holidaymakers because it’s considered one of the working holiday visa jobs in Australia that can extend your visa.
Similar to farm work, if you are going to apply for a fruit-picking job you need to know that one it can be physically demanding and two you may have to consider what season you’d like to work this job as working outside can be quite hot during Australia’s summer.
Also, make sure you apply with renowned agencies or farmers for these kinds of jobs.
Responsibilities
Your main responsibility is picking fruit, but not any fruit, the fruit you pick has to be a certain size and be ripe, and no rotten fruit of course!
You also sort and pack fruit and put them in containers and then into trucks.
Requirements
You don’t need any specific qualifications for this job as training is often provided.
Pay
Pay for backpacker fruit picking jobs in Australia can be as follows:
The minimum wage or more per hour
Per bucket of fruit
Note that if you’re provided with a bed and meals, this can often be deducted from your wage.
Read also:
Essential Tips for Working in Australia
6. Construction worker
One of the biggest industries in Australia is construction – backpacker jobs in Australia can therefore often be in this industry.
This type of work often pays well but note that it can be hard work physically and it requires a certain level of fitness.
You may be thinking of the difficulty of working this job in Australia when it’s hot but the great thing is that these kinds of jobs often start early in the day leaving you to finish early, so you have the rest of the day to spend as you please.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities can vary depending on your position. Here are some things you may be doing:
Clearing worksites
Breaking old structures with equipment
Preparing and applying material to structures – using cement for example
Requirements
Training is often provided so there isn’t necessarily a need for any specific experience or qualifications.
Pay
In an entry position, you can expect at least the minimum hourly wage. However, as an experienced construction worker in Australia, the average hourly rate is often over $30.
7. Au pair
Have you worked with children before or have experience in minding children? You have the opportunity to work as an Au Pair in Australia.
A great thing about this job is that you often get to know the Aussie way of living since you spend a lot of the time working with families and in some cases living with the family where you are given a bed and meals.
Best season to work as an Au Pair? During the school holidays which fall in the following months:
April
July
September/October
December (Australia’s summer holidays)
Nonetheless, that’s not to say you won’t find Au Pair roles outside these holidays.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities can vary a lot depending on:
The family you’re working with
The season you’re working (as children may or may not be in school)
The age of the children of course
Whether you’re living with the family or not
Some responsibilities can include:
Waking children up in the morning
Helping children get ready for school
Preparing meals for children
Doing light housework, such as washing clothes or vacuuming
Requirements
You don’t need any specific education or experience, although it’s important that you enjoy caring for children.
Pay
You can expect to be paid minimum wage as an Au Pair, however, if you’re living with the family you’re working with where you’re given a bed and meals, then you can expect to be paid less.
Nonetheless, it can be a great job as you don’t have to worry about finding accommodation and the money you make can be spent on your travels around Australia.
8. Mining worker
A great job opportunity in Australia is mining work. Working holiday mining jobs are a great choice if you’re planning to obtain a second year in Australia since it’s considered regional work.
Similar to construction work, mining jobs are also physically demanding, so you are required to be fit for this kind of work.
Typically if you work in mining, you will often travel to the mine sites in remote areas and work for some weeks before going on a break which you can use for travelling around Australia.
Responsibilities
Some responsibilities include:
Taking care of both underground and surface mining (coal, rocks and ore)
Building entrances to and from the mines
Transfering coal, rocks and ore to where they need to be shipped
Requirements
Although qualifications are not required, it can be useful to be qualified in any of the following areas:
Surface extraction operations
Underground mining
Pay
Mining jobs can sometimes offer double the minimum wage, so it’s definitely one to consider if you’re able!
9. Admin work/receptionist
Something different that the jobs mentioned so far you can consider for your working holiday is receptionist or admin work.
Yes, these types of jobs are often permanent roles (which of course as a backpacker, you cannot apply for).
However, it’s possible to find temporary 6-month contracts as a receptionist or admin work which are suitable for working holidaymakers, especially if you have Microsoft Office skills, great communication and also organisation skills.
Responsibilities
Although admin and receptionist work is different, a lot of the tasks are similar. Nonetheless, they do differ, more particularly in that receptionists work at the front desk and admin workers in the back office.
Some responsibilities could be:
Data entry
Photocopying
Organising meetings
Requirements
There are no specific qualifications required, however, having prior experience can give you a better chance of obtaining these kinds of roles.
Pay
Depending on the skills you have and your role you can make from the minimum wage to $40 an hour.
10. Tour guide
Want to guide visitors on tours while you’re on your working holiday in Australia? These tours can include sightseeing or educating visitors on points of interest.
Here’s the great thing about this job, it also gives you the opportunity to see focal points in Australia while you’re visiting – a win-win situation!
Responsibilities
Here’s what you could be doing as a tour guide:
Greeting visitors
Planing and organising tours
Arranging transport
Arranging entry to museums, etc.
Answering any questions visitors have
Requirements
You don’t necessarily need to have any qualifications, however, having an education in this area can be useful.
Pay
Often as a tour guide, you’ll be paid Australia’s minimum wage.
11. Festival staff
Working at a festival? You may not have expected to see it on the list but this is a great job opportunity for backpackers in Australia.
Festivals need staff temporarily, so it’s ideal for working holidaymakers in Australia!
For this kind of work, you need to watch out for the festival dates so that you can apply. To obtain these jobs, you can often reach out to the organiser.
It’s also one to consider because it gives you the chance to enjoy some festivals in Australia while also making some money.
Responsibilities
You may be responsible for a number of things as festival staff, some can include:
Assisting in the entry and exit of people
Providing people at the festival with information, such as the facilities there are and the performances that are on
Requirements
Although prior experience is always an advantage, no specific qualifications are required.
Pay
It can be difficult to know how much you’ll be paid as staff at a festival until you look for these kinds of jobs but remember you should always be paid at least minimum wage on your working holiday jobs in Australia unless of course you’re provided with things like bed and meals.
As staff at a festival, you certainly have the chance of being paid above the minimum wage.
With this, we end the list of the best backpacker jobs in Australia. We hope that you found this list useful!
Of course, there are other jobs you can consider. However, note that the jobs mentioned in this article are ones to consider for one reason or another – whether it be for the pay, the flexibility it’ll give you to travel or the popularity the job has for working holidaymakers.
Wondering about the highest paid backpacker jobs in Australia? Read: Top 10 Best Paid Jobs in Australia
Ready to secure your working holiday visa for Australia?
For you’re working holiday in Australia, you won’t only need to consider the job you’ll be taking up but you also have to secure a visa!
You can of course apply for your Australian working holiday visa by yourself but why not leave it up to the Visa First experts?
This will not only increase your chances of a successful outcome but also take the stress off of your plate!
Why should I apply with Visa First?
Experienced team of visa application professionals
Increase your chances of a successful outcome
A visa expert will guide you through the entire application process
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