Work in Australia
Get paid to
see Australia.
The honest, no-fluff guide to landing work — fair wages, real hours, the right visa boxes ticked, and money left over for the road.
01 — Jobs
The four jobs that actually pay your trip.
Pay ranges are real backpacker averages from the last six months — not award minimums.
Farm & Harvest
$28–$35/hr
QLD · NT · WA
_________
Counts toward 2nd year visa.
Hospitality
$26–$32/hr
All capital cities
_________
Bars, cafés, hotels — always hiring.
Construction
$30–$45/hr
Mining & metro
_________
Labouring & trade-assistant roles.
Retail & Office
$25–$30/hr
Sydney · Melbourne
_________
Customer service & temp admin.
02 — Getting started
Your first week, mapped out.
Four moves, in order. Do them in your first seven days and you’ll be earning before most backpackers have unpacked.
Apply free online in 10 minutes — without it you'll be taxed at 47%.
What Aussie employers actually look for, and the one-liner that gets you a call back.
The 5 job boards, 3 Facebook groups and 2 apps that actually work for backpackers.
TFN declarations, PAYG, super and tax returns — made painfully simple.
03 — Earning & living
The numbers every backpacker should know.
Know your worth, claim what's yours, and stretch every dollar further on the road.
Minimum wage
$24.10
per hour, nationwide floor
Super rate
11.5%
paid on top of your wage
Weekly avg.
$1,150
backpacker take-home
2nd year visa
88 days
of specified regional work