Backpacker Jobs in Australia
The main types of work open to working holiday makers, what they pay, which ones count toward a second-year visa, and what to sort out before your first shift.
This guide gives general information about working in Australia on a Working Holiday (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa. Visa conditions change and depend on your circumstances, so always check the Department of Home Affairs website or speak to a registered migration agent before relying on anything here.
Most backpackers arrive with the same plan: find work quickly, earn enough to keep travelling, and maybe pick up the regional work needed for a second year. The jobs are out there, but the first few weeks go much more smoothly if you know which work suits your plans, what you should be paid, and what paperwork employers will ask for.
This page is the overview. For each type of work, we link to a more detailed guide.
Before you start work
Employers will usually ask for these on or before your first day. Sorting them out in your first week means you can say yes as soon as a job comes up.
- Tax file number (TFN). Apply online once you’re in Australia. Without one, your employer has to withhold tax at a much higher rate. See our guide to applying for a TFN.
- Australian bank account. Wages are paid by bank transfer, not cash. See opening a bank account in 2026.
- Superannuation fund. Your employer pays super on top of your wages. You can nominate your own fund or let them use their default one.
- An Australian phone number and a resume. Keep it to one or two pages and include your visa type. Our resume tips for Australia explain the local format.
What you should be paid
Working holiday makers have the same workplace rights as any other worker in Australia. Most backpacker jobs are covered by an industry award that sets minimum pay, and those rates are often higher than the national minimum wage.
Weekend, public holiday and late-night shifts often attract penalty rates on top of these minimums, especially in hospitality. Your employer must also pay superannuation, currently 12% of your ordinary earnings, into a super fund in your name. When you leave Australia, you can claim most of it back. Our guide on how to claim your superannuation explains how.
Fruit picking is often paid per bin or per kilo rather than by the hour. Under the Horticulture Award, pieceworkers must still be paid at least the minimum hourly rate for the hours they work, however much they pick. If an employer tells you otherwise, check with the Fair Work Ombudsman.
The main types of backpacker work
| Type of work | Where | Usually needs | Counts for 2nd year? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm and fruit picking | Regional areas, following harvest seasons | Fitness, own transport helps | Usually, if in an eligible area |
| Hospitality and bar work | Cities, tourist towns, resorts | RSA for serving alcohol | Only in some areas (see below) |
| Housekeeping | Hotels, resorts, hostels | Reliability, attention to detail | Only in some areas |
| Construction and labouring | Cities and regional projects | White Card, steel-capped boots | Usually, if in an eligible area |
| Traffic control | Road and construction sites | State traffic control tickets | Usually, if in an eligible area |
Farm and fruit picking
The classic backpacker job, and the most common way to complete specified work for a second-year visa. Work follows the harvest, so timing matters more than location. Strawberries, citrus, grapes and bananas all peak at different times in different states. Start with our farm jobs around Australia guide, then check the fruit picking season calendar to plan where to be and when. Our complete guide to fruit picking jobs covers what the work is really like.
Hospitality and bar work
Cafes, restaurants, pubs and hotels hire backpackers all year, especially in summer and in tourist areas. Experience helps, but plenty of venues will train someone reliable. You’ll need a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate for the state you’re working in to serve alcohol. Read more in our guides to hospitality jobs and bar work in Australia.
Housekeeping
Hotels, resorts and holiday parks need cleaners and room attendants, particularly in peak season. It’s physical work, but hours are usually steady and it’s often easy to get started. Some remote resorts include accommodation. See our guide to housekeeping jobs in Australia.
Construction, labouring and traffic control
These roles often pay well above the minimum wage, but you’ll need a White Card (general construction induction) before you can work on any construction site. Traffic control also needs state-specific tickets. Our guides to construction jobs and traffic control jobs explain what’s involved.
Jobs that count toward a second year
To get a second Working Holiday visa, you generally need to complete 88 days of “specified work” in an eligible industry and an eligible regional area during your first year. For a third year, it’s six months during your second year. Two separate tests apply: the type of work, and the postcode where it’s done.
Usually eligible
- Plant and animal cultivation, including fruit picking and farm work
- Fishing and pearling
- Tree farming and felling
- Mining
- Construction
Eligible only in some areas
- Tourism and hospitality, in northern or remote and very remote Australia
- Recovery work in areas declared affected by bushfires or other natural disasters
- Rules differ between subclass 417 and 462, so always check your own visa
For the details, read understanding the 88-day specified work requirement and understanding regional Australia for specified work. Our working holiday visas 2026 update covers recent changes.
Working holiday makers can generally work for one employer for up to six months. There are exceptions, including for some regional and specified work, so check the current Home Affairs rules if you’d like to stay longer in one job.
Where to find work
Job boards are the obvious place to start, but much backpacker work is found locally. Hostel noticeboards, Facebook groups for specific towns, harvest labour services and simply walking into venues with a printed resume all work, especially in regional areas.
- Check our list of job boards for backpackers
- Pick a base with plenty of work. Our guide to which city to start your job search in can help
- Ask your hostel. Many have direct contacts with local farms and venues
- For hospitality, drop your resume in person mid-afternoon, when venues are quiet
Tickets that get you hired faster
A short course before you start looking can be the difference between waiting weeks and starting this week. The most useful tickets for backpacker work are:
| Ticket | Useful for |
|---|---|
| RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) | Bar, restaurant and pub work. Requirements differ by state |
| White Card | Any construction or labouring site |
| First Aid | Remote work, resorts, childcare and many other roles |
| Manual handling | Hospitality, housekeeping, warehouses and farms |
| Traffic control | Road and site traffic management |
Our own manual handling in the hospitality industry course is short, online and comes with a certificate you can add to your resume straight away.
Red flags to watch for
Most employers are fair, but backpackers are sometimes targeted because they’re new to Australia and keen to finish their 88 days. Be cautious if an employer:
- Offers cash-in-hand work with no payslips
- Asks you to pay a fee to get a job
- Pays piece rates that work out below the minimum hourly rate
- Charges for accommodation or transport directly out of your wages without your written agreement
- Won’t sign off your specified work or give you payslips you need for your visa
If something doesn’t feel right, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman. Workers on a working holiday visa have the same rights as everyone else, and Home Affairs has arrangements in place so that reporting exploitation generally won’t put your visa at risk.
Frequently asked questions
Farm work and hospitality usually have the most openings. Farm work depends on harvest timing, while hospitality hiring peaks in summer and in tourist areas. An RSA certificate makes hospitality jobs much easier to get.
At least the national minimum wage of $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026, or $33.05 for casual work. Many jobs pay more under their industry award, and weekend or public holiday work usually attracts penalty rates.
Working holiday makers are taxed at 15% on the first $45,000 they earn in a financial year, as long as the employer is registered with the ATO. You may need to lodge a tax return at the end of the financial year. See our guide on claiming your tax return.
Only in certain areas, such as northern Australia and remote or very remote regions. Hospitality in a capital city generally does not count. Check the current Home Affairs rules and the postcode of your workplace before relying on it.
Steel-capped boots, sun protection and a hat for outdoor work, plus black clothes for hospitality. Our packing guide for Australia has the full list.
Get job ready before your first shift
Our short, affordable online courses come with certificates you can add to your resume, so you can apply with confidence from day one.
Explore Courses- Fair Work Ombudsman: minimum wages and casual employees
- Australian Taxation Office: tax for working holiday makers (Schedule 15)
- Department of Home Affairs: Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) conditions and specified work
This guide is general information only, not visa, tax or legal advice. Pay rates, tax rates and visa conditions change, so always confirm current details with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the ATO, the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent.