10 Backpacker Jobs I Had in Australia (And How You Can Work There Too!)

In the 2.5 years I spent in Australia, I lived in 7 different places and had about 10 jobs. I did a lot of the typical jobs that students and Working Holiday visa holders do, as I spent my time traveling around the country and trying new things, taking advantage of how easy it was to find work back then (sorry new backpackers, I know it’s not the same now!).

I also saved quite a bit of money by working in exchange for accommodation, but I already covered that in detail in a different post. In this list, I'm only going to talk about the jobs I earned money from while living in Australia on a student visa (and later on the Covid visa), to give you an idea of what kind of work you can do in Australia as a foreigner.

BACKPACKER JOBS IN AUSTRALIA

1. Working at an Italian restaurant

2. Receptionist at a hostel in Sydney

3. Waitress at a café that went viral on TikTok

4. Waitress at a (very fake) Spanish restaurant

5. Asparagus packer from a “working hostel”

6. A job I quit after just 4 days

7. Receptionist at a beach resort (with crocodiles!)

8. Waitressing at events

9. Housekeeper at a resort

10. FIFO Utility in the mines

Bonus: other typical jobs

Let’s go over all the places where I worked in Australia, in order, giving you a nice summary of what the first part of my life there was like.

I lived in Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Sydney, Mildura, Crab Claw Island, Broome, and Perth. I also worked for a few days in Adelaide, but that stint was so short that I wouldn’t really count it as a place I lived in. I spent two weeks there because my car broke down just before setting off on a road trip to Darwin, trying to escape the Aussie winter.

And well, do the mines count? I spent two weeks in each mining town and then went back to Perth, which was where I was really settled.

HOW TO FIND WORK IN AUSTRALIA

To get a job in Australia, you need four things: a visa that allows you to work, a phone number so employers can contact you, an Australian bank account, and your TFN (Tax File Number).

The most common and easiest visas to get are the student visa and the Working Holiday Visa. I initially went to Australia on a tourist visa, just planning to spend a few months traveling around. But things changed, and I ended up wanting to stay longer. So, I applied for a student visa. (These days, you can’t switch from a tourist visa to a student visa without leaving the country.)

If you're between 18 and 30, the best option is the Working Holiday Visa. It gives you way more freedom to travel and work around Australia.

As for the other steps, you’ll sort those out once you’re in the country. I don’t recommend starting your job search too early because you’ll need these details. Get your CV, cover letters, and a list of places you want to check out ready, but leave the rest for when you’re on the ground.

I traveled and worked all around Australia

Now, with a bit more context, let’s see what are the 10 backpacker jobs I had in Australia. I’m sharing what I earned at each of them, but these are wages from 2021-2022. Now you could expect hourly rates to be a bit higher!

1. WORKING AT A RESTAURANT IN AUSTRALIA

HERVEY BAY, QUEENSLAND

My first proper job in Australia was as a waitress at an Italian restaurant. I didn’t go looking for it—the job found me. I had just moved to Hervey Bay, a small town a few hours north of the Gold Coast, where I had landed a work-for-accommodation gig at a hostel.

That’s where I met Roberta, an Italian girl who was struggling to keep up at the restaurant she worked at. She offered me the chance to give it a go. I had no experience and didn’t feel super confident with my English, especially in a customer-facing role, but I said yes. I gave it a try, and they hired me!

I stayed there for about three months, occasionally working in the kitchen or at the bar, and sometimes helping with stock before opening. I gained so much confidence with the language and realized that having a good attitude and a smile mattered way more than speaking perfect English.

HOURS: 20-28 hours per week.

PAY: $25/hour weekdays, $29/h Saturdays and $34/h Sundays.

“No pineapple on pizza”

2. RECEPTIONIST AT A HOSTEL IN SYDNEY

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

I moved to Sydney without much of a plan and ended up staying at a hostel where a friend of mine was living. I asked the manager if they needed people to work for accommodation, and he offered me a spot at reception straight away.

Once again, the same rule applied: having a good attitude was more valuable than perfect English (plus, asking at just the right moment definitely helped too!).

Although I wasn’t officially employed here, I’m including this experience because it gave me the skills and confidence I needed to land a receptionist job later on at a resort, my seventh job in Australia.

The hostel where I worked in Sydney

3. WORKING AT A CAFÉ THAT WENT VIRAL ON TIKTOK

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

I saw a café near the hostel was looking for staff, so I prepared my CV and went in to ask for the manager (no prior messages or anything). He scheduled me for a trial in a couple of days.

On the trial day, I was nervous. I had checked out their Instagram, and the place seemed way too fancy for someone with as little experience as I had. I almost didn’t go, but in the end, I showed up. And thank goodness! It turned out to be one of the best jobs I had in Australia.

The café had stunning design and amazing coffee, and shortly after I started working there, it went viral on TikTok. What madness! Overnight, it was always packed with a queue at the door. Influencers showed up dressed as if they were attending a wedding, and taking photos became part of my daily tasks. It was interesting but, above all, chaotic.

HOURS: 9 hours/day, 4-6 days per week.

PAY: $27/hour

The most aesthetic place I will ever work at!

4. WAITRESS AT A (very fake) SPANISH RESTAURANT

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

When I was looking for work in Sydney, I did another trial at a Spanish restaurant. And got hired there as well! (By the way, I use the term “hired,” but the reality is that I signed very few contracts in Australia; it was quite common to start working right away without any issues with payment later on.)

I worked there some nights during dinner service. It was funny because when I arrived, I was the only person who spoke Spanish in that “Spanish” restaurant. They had typical dishes from Spain and even paellas, but made in a bit of a... unique way.

And yes, I had three jobs while I was in Sydney, but it was during my course’s holiday, which was the only time I could work as many hours as I wanted without visa restrictions (during the course, you can only work 24 hours a week on a student visa). I had to make the most out of it!

HOURS: 3-6 h/day, 2-3 days per week

PAY: $24/hour + tips

I loved my time in Sydney

5. PACKING ASPARAGUS FROM A “WORKING HOSTEL”

MILDURA, VICTORIA

With the money I saved during my months in Sydney, I bought a car and set off on an adventure. I spent just over a month traveling through New South Wales and Victoria until I reached Mildura, a town with plenty of farm work. So how did I end up there?

In a Facebook group, someone was looking for workers, and another person replied with their phone number, saying they had farm work available. After a quick investigation into that person’s profile, for some reason, I decided they seemed trustworthy. And I called them. (I share this to show how you can find work in Australia in the most random ways.)

They told me to head to Mildura (I was in Bendigo, about a four-hour drive away), and we’d confirm things there. I went the next day, and that’s how I ended up at my first “working hostel.” These are hostels that help you find work and receive a sort of commission from the companies in exchange. The catch is that you have to stay at the hostel to keep your job.

I started working packing asparagus in a packhouse, which was my first time doing farm work. It was pretty monotonous, but we were allowed to play music and there was a good atmosphere. I didn’t stay longer than a month; just enough to get a bonus offered by the Victorian government for working on one of their farms at the time.

HOURS: 8 h/day, 5-6 days per week.

PAY: $24,8/h + $800 seasonal bonus

The job was boring but we made it fun

6. A JOB I QUIT AFTER JUST 4 DAYS

ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Although the plan was to continue my road trip, my car decided to break down when I reached Adelaide (thanks, mate). I ended up finding the cheapest hostel in Australia at the time, which also included breakfast and dinner for $15 a night.

A girl I met there had just gotten a job at a potato packer and invited several of us to join her. Since there wasn’t much else to do in Adelaide, I decided to give it a go. Four days in, and I had seen more potatoes than I ever want to again. Fixed the car and hit the road—no looking back!

HOURS: 8 h/day, 5 days per week.

PAY: $24,8/h

7. RECEPTIONIST AT A BEACH RESORT (with crocodiles)

CRAB CLAW ISLAND, NORTHERN TERRITORY

Crab Claw Island was one of the most interesting places where I lived and worked in Australia. It wasn’t exactly an island; it only looked like one when the tide was really high and flooded the access points, but it felt just as remote.

I worked at the reception, which also served as a bar and restaurant during meal times. From the elevated platform where the reception was, I sometimes spotted saltwater crocodiles swimming right in front of us!

But that wasn’t the only strange thing about the place. One of my tasks was to feed the wallabies that roamed freely around the island, sharing their space with a couple of peacocks and other birds.

Mid-morning, helicopters would start arriving, bringing people in for a visit as part of a rather exclusive pub crawl. It was definitely a unique spot!

HOURS: 6-13 h/day, 5-6 days per week.

PAY: $26/h + free accommodation

I also got this job on Facebook

8. WAITRESS AT EVENTS

BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The next place where I worked was Broome. I arrived at the end of August, still within the high season (which coincides with the Australian winter since it’s warm all year round up there).

I didn’t rush to find a job, but I saw an opportunity to work at an event for a couple of days, and I jumped on it. It was a long table dinner for about 200 people, where I was responsible for serving drinks one day and delivering plates of food the next.

It was a great experience; I met some lovely people and kept in touch with the agency for future events. In the big cities, you'll find several agencies offering these types of casual jobs for events or covering shifts in bars and restaurants.

HOURS: 5-7 h/day

PAY: $27,4/h, $32,88/h Saturdays, +$2,3/h evenings (after 7pm)

Long table dinner in Cable Beach

9. HOUSEKEEPER AT A RESORT IN AUSTRALIA

BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

In Broome, I tried working as a housekeeper for the first time. Many Spanish speakers start with this type of work, where you don’t need to speak English, until they learn to get by in the language… but I did it the other way around!

And what a relief it was to move away from customer service! Although I enjoyed working as a waitress or receptionist, this was much more relaxed. I could listen to music or podcasts while I worked, the pace was slower, and the pay was pretty good (especially with the weekend bonuses). Plus, the hours were much more stable.

HOURS: 5-7 h/day, 5-6 days per week

PAY: $26,5/h, $31,8/h Saturdays, $37/h Sundays

Broome is a place to work a bit and live a lot

10. FIFO UTILITY IN THE MINES

PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

One of the most popular jobs on social media is working in the mines in Australia. It's said to be a great job for saving money, and that's true: you don't pay for accommodation or food, and you work 11 hours a day every day of your swing (usually between 7 and 14 days). You earn quite a bit, yes, but that's because you work a lot. It's not magic!

Getting a FIFO (fly in fly out) job takes time; it usually takes at least a month from your first phone interview to the day you start your first shift (swing). They require a police clearance certificate, a medical examination and drug testing, plus a couple of days of introductory courses.

Most commonly, you start in utility roles in mining towns, working in the kitchen or housekeeping, but you could also start as a trade assistant in the mine without experience.

Adjusting to the work pace and conditions is tough since it involves long hours in a remote location with little to do and sometimes extreme heat. It’s not for everyone, but in just a few months, you can save a lot of money!

HOURS: 11 h/day, 14 days on (a swing) and 7 days off.

PAY: $31,5/h; $33,5/h on night shift

This is how the mining villages look like

JOBS IN AUSTRALIA FOR STUDENTS AND WORKING HOLIDAYS

The jobs I did are some of the most common ones for foreigners in Australia, though there are plenty of other options!

• Kitchen assistant

• Waiter, bartender, or barista

• Uber Eats delivery driver

• Hotel receptionist

• Hotel or apartment cleaner

• Construction work

• Farm work

• Solar farm work

• Tour guide

>> If you're interested in working in other destinations, here are the most popular jobs for foreigners in New Zealand.

Job agencies in Australia

In addition to the event agencies we've mentioned, you can also sign up with agencies to find other types of casual work, such as in construction.

Working hostels in Australia

Working hostels typically operate with farm work, whether it's picking (harvesting) or packing. They can be a good option to find work and meet people, but some areas don’t have the best reputation—like Bundaberg in Queensland. My experience was positive, but you hear all kinds of stories.

BONUS: Airtasker

While I was in Gold Coast without work (during the pandemic when almost everything was closed), I downloaded the Airtasker app to find casual jobs. People post tasks they need help with, like moving, gardening, assembling furniture, updating a CV, creating a website—there’s a bit of everything.

I ended up distributing flyers for a solar panel company around my neighbourhood, and some other day I made a birthday cake. It’s a nice way to earn a little extra cash on the side.

CERTIFICATIONS TO WORK IN AUSTRALIA

Australia is a country where work is highly regulated, and you’ll need specific certifications to serve alcohol in bars (RSA), work in construction (White Card), and for some of the most common jobs.

These are usually easy online courses, but they’re not free. So if you're interested in any of these roles, it’s best to get the necessary certification as soon as you arrive in Australia.

• RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol): needed to work in bars, cafés or any place that serves alcohol.

• RSG/RSC: required for working in casinos.

• FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATE: for working in kitchens, caterings…

• WHITE CARD: for construction work and solar farms.

• BLUE CARD / WORK WITH CHILDREN CHECK: for jobs involving children.

• FORKLIFT LICENSE: for operating forklifts.

• TRAFFIC CONTROLLER COURSE: to work as a traffic controller.

• FIRST AID: first aid certification.

• BARISTA COURSE: not mandatory, but helpful if you want to work as a barista.

• APPROVED MANAGER CERTIFICATE: if you want to work as a hospitality manager in Western Australia.

Please be aware that the different Australian states often have different rules and requirements related to these work certificates. If, for example, you want to work in a pub in Victoria, make sure you are obtaining the RSA certificate valid for said state.

Staff barbecue on a rooftop overlooking Sydney, living the dream here!

By the way, I was able to travel so much on a student visa because it was during the pandemic, and there were no in-person classes. That's not usually the case. I had more of a Working Holiday experience, with fewer restrictions, as they also lifted the weekly work hour limit for a while.

If you meet all the requirements, definitely apply for a Working Holiday visa! But if not, the student visa is your best option. If you’re considering it, take advantage of this free consultation (just fill out the form) and get all the info you need.

Whatever you end up doing, I firmly believe living and working in another country is an experience that everyone should try once. If Australia is on your mind… go and book the flight!

See you out there!

Written by Mar Sart while in Australia. Last updated on August 2024.

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