Working in Australia: visas, pay and practical tips to get started

Want to work in Australia, travel around the country or combine study with work experience? Your options go far beyond farm work. You can look for jobs in hospitality, construction, cleaning, retail, offices or your own profession.

Before you start sending resumes, though, you need a visa with work rights. Its conditions, your experience, your English and your availability all shape which jobs are a good fit for you.

Where do you start, how do you prepare for the Australian job market and what should you look out for when you choose a job?

0101First, a visa with work rights

Your passport alone doesn't give you the right to work in Australia. You need the right visa, and you can't take a job on a visitor (tourist) visa. You can check your visa conditions in your visa grant notice and in VEVO.

The main options are:

This guide focuses on working on a Working Holiday visa and while you study. If you already have a profession and experience, it's also worth looking at the options for skilled work.

0202Do you need experience or a degree?

In many service and hands-on jobs, experience with the actual tasks can matter more than a degree unrelated to the role. An employer hiring a barista wants to know you can handle the coffee machine in the morning rush. A renovation company wants to know which jobs you can do on your own and which tools you use.

That doesn't mean qualifications don't count. Regulated occupations and some roles require the right licence, recognition of your qualifications or local registration.

What if you have no experience?

Look for entry-level roles and ads marked entry level, no experience required or training provided. Depending on the employer, that can mean dishwashing, kitchen help, cleaning, packing or helping out in a restaurant.

For these roles, show above all:

• When you can start and which days you're available.
• Whether you can get to early or late shifts.
• Whether you understand instructions in English.
• Which skills from previous jobs you can bring.

0303Which industries can you work in?

Working in Australia covers a wide range of options, from hospitality to marketing, IT, education and the trades. It's worth looking both at roles you can start in straight away and at jobs that match your education and experience.

Your English, location, availability and visa conditions also shape which jobs you can take.

Some occupations need specific qualifications, local registration, a licence or extra checks. Before you apply, check the requirements of the role.

Can you find work in your own profession?

Yes, it's worth trying, especially if you have experience and English good enough to do the job comfortably. Prepare a resume tailored to the industry, references and, where it applies, a portfolio or examples of your projects.

Employers also look at your work rights, though: how many hours you can work, how long you're staying and whether you can stay on in the job. The Student visa hours limit can be hard to fit with a full-time role. On a Working Holiday visa, the limit on working for one employer can matter, unless an exception applies to you or you get permission to work longer.

That's why your first job in your own field can take longer to find, even with the right skills. It's worth looking for your target roles and, in parallel, for work that gives you local references and covers part of your living costs.

If you're staying for a shorter time, look at temporary, fixed-term, contract and project-based roles. They can cover leave, projects or extra help for a team. Always make sure the hours and the length of the job fit your visa. The word “contract” doesn't have to mean self-employment on an ABN.

Recruitment agencies can help too

Besides applying on your own, it's worth contacting recruitment agencies that specialise in your industry. Recruiters fill permanent and temporary roles, in offices, trades and specialist fields.

Give them an up-to-date resume and clear information about:

• Your experience and the roles you're looking for.
• Your visa and its work conditions.
• When you can start and your availability.
• Where you'd like to work and how you'll get there.

Ask them directly whether they recruit candidates with your work rights. That way you'll quickly know whether their roles fit your situation.

Hospitality: options at every level

You can start in a support role or use your experience as a cook, barista, bartender or manager.

Search for titles such as kitchen hand, food runner, food and beverage attendant, barista, bartender, chef, hotel receptionist and housekeeping attendant.

Some venues hire people without experience and train them. For roles that need specific skills, such as running the coffee machine or the bar on your own, employers may expect experience.

Construction and trades: show what you can do

You can look for work as a construction labourer or in your trade, for example as a carpenter, joiner, painter or tiler.

Prepare photos of your work, references and a list of the jobs you can do on your own. Find out whether you need your own tools, a car, protective clothing or extra tickets. A White Card on its own doesn't replace the qualifications or licences some work requires.

Cleaning: check how the work is organised

Jobs include homes, offices, hotels and post-renovation sites. Before you accept, ask whether you work at one address or travel between clients, who supplies the equipment and how travel is paid.

Also find out whether it's employment or genuinely providing services as your own business. A price per job can look attractive, but you need to count the time it takes, the travel and your costs.

Your own community

In Australian cities there are businesses run by people from many countries, for example in construction, renovation and cleaning. It's worth asking about work in your community's Facebook groups for the city you're in.

Contacts in your community can make the start easier and lead to referrals. At the same time, it's worth applying more widely to have more roles and room to grow.

0404Working on a Working Holiday visa: travel and flexibility

A Working Holiday visa lets you work during your stay to help pay for your travels. It doesn't limit you to farms or hospitality. You can do many kinds of work within your visa conditions.

You can plan a few months in one city and then travel, or move between regions and work seasonally.

Before you go to a job outside the city, check:

• Whether the employer offers a set number of hours.
• What the accommodation costs and whether there's a bond.
• Whether you need a car.
• What happens with the accommodation when the job ends.
• Whether the weather can cut the number of shifts.

The six-month limit with one employer, and the exceptions

As a general rule, on a Working Holiday visa you can work for one employer for up to six months. There are exceptions, including:

• Working for the same employer in different locations, as long as you don't work more than six months at any one location.
• Work in certain industries, including tourism and hospitality anywhere in Australia.
• Other kinds of work listed by Home Affairs.

If no exception applies to you, in some situations you can ask for permission to keep working for the same employer. This covers, among other things, work that is critical to the employer, backed by a letter from them, or waiting for a decision on a visa that lets you keep working full time. You must ask before the limit runs out. It doesn't lift the limit automatically for everyone.

0505Working while you study, and work placements

On a Student visa, study is the main purpose of your stay. As a general rule, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, counting all your jobs together, and without that limit during official course breaks.

If you're coming on your first Student visa, you generally can't start work until your course has started. There are exceptions for earlier work rights and separate rules for some research degrees.

When you look for a job, think about your timetable and travel, not only the pay rate. A few regular shifts close to home can be easier to fit with study than a job on the other side of the city.

Courses with a work placement

Some courses include a work placement. It's a chance to see how your industry works, use your skills and make contacts.

Before you enrol, ask the school how many placement hours the course includes, who arranges the placement, whether it's paid and what documents you'll need.

Placements can be unpaid if they meet the legal conditions of a vocational placement. Compulsory placements that are a registered part of the course can be excluded from the work hours limit. That doesn't automatically apply to every internship or to any job related to your studies.

We cover the details here:

0606How much can you earn?

From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage for adult employees covered by it is AUD 26.44 per hour before tax, and AUD 33.05 for casual employees covered by it, with a 25% loading. Most employees, though, are covered by industry pay rules called awards. The right rate depends on the role, the classification and the type of shift, among other things.

Pay in selected jobs

Below are median hourly earnings before tax, published by Jobs and Skills Australia from ABS data for May 2025. They show the differences between occupations, but they aren't a price list of current job offers or guaranteed starting rates.

A median is the middle value, not the average. What you actually earn depends on your experience, location, duties, type of employment and penalty rates for particular shifts, among other things. These figures are not rates for services you provide through your own business on an ABN.

If you're new to an industry, your offer may be below the median. Experience, specialist skills or more responsibility can let you negotiate higher pay. For jobs that need qualifications or a licence, also check whether your documents let you do that work in Australia.

In construction, your trade and how independently you work can make a big difference to pay. Don't compare an experienced carpenter's rate with a beginner labourer's, or an ABN invoice amount with an employee's wage.

What about tips?

In some restaurants and bars, tips can be a noticeable extra. How much depends on the venue, the customers, the shifts and how tips are shared between staff.

At the interview, ask whether tips are individual or pooled, who shares in them and how often they're paid out. Base your budget for rent and essentials on your wage, without counting on regular tips.

Compare the whole offer

A higher hourly rate doesn't always mean a higher weekly income. Available hours, travel costs and employment conditions count too.

For example, 15 hours at AUD 38 gives AUD 570 before tax, while 24 hours at AUD 34 gives AUD 816 before tax. This hypothetical example shows why it's worth asking how many shifts you'll get.

You can check the right minimum for your job in the Fair Work calculator.

0707Working on an ABN: can you run your own business?

Besides working as an employee, you can run a business as a sole trader. An ABN, or Australian Business Number, identifies your business. Registering through the official Australian Business Register is free.

This can suit, for example, providing cleaning, photography, design or other services to clients on your own. You still need to check your visa conditions, any licences you need and your obligations as a business.

Is it like running a business back home?

Not necessarily. As a sole trader in Australia, you don't pay a fixed, compulsory monthly social security contribution just for having a business, as you do in many countries. You also don't have to pay super into your own retirement fund, although you can choose to. Other obligations apply if you employ staff.

You pay income tax on your income minus the costs you're allowed to deduct. You report your business income in your individual tax return, together with any other income. There is no fixed tax just for having an ABN.

For example, if you earn AUD 2,000 and have AUD 300 of deductible costs, your business income before tax is AUD 1,700. How much tax you pay also depends on your other income and the tax rules that apply to your situation.

This can make it easier to start a small service business. It doesn't mean every business is free to run, though. Depending on your services, you may need equipment, transport, insurance, a licence or an accountant. Above a certain turnover, or for certain kinds of services, you also have GST obligations.

What changes in practice?

You set your own services, issue invoices, keep records of income and costs and handle your own tax. Put part of what you're paid aside for tax, because the money landing in your account isn't automatically money you can spend.

When you set your price, include travel, materials and the time clients don't pay for. That's why AUD 40 an hour on an ABN isn't automatically a better offer than AUD 35 as an employee.

ABNs, visa conditions and employee rights

An ABN doesn't give you extra work rights or lift your visa limits. Students must also count work in their own business, and Working Holiday makers are still covered by the rules on working for the same client.

0808What to prepare before your first job

A resume in the Australian format

Don't just translate the CV you used at home. Look at the local format, usually called a resume.

Keep the layout simple and the information relevant to the role. You usually don't need a photo, your date of birth or your marital status. With less experience, one or two pages can be enough.

It's worth including:

RSA for working with alcohol

For work in a bar or a restaurant that serves alcohol, you'll often need an RSA, Responsible Service of Alcohol. In NSW, the training is compulsory for anyone who sells, serves or supplies alcohol to customers.

Before you pay for a course, check the requirements of the state you'll work in and whether that training is recognised there.

A White Card for construction sites

To do construction work you need a White Card, which shows you've completed general construction safety training. It doesn't replace a trade licence or the induction for a specific site.

TFN, bank account and super

Have your Tax File Number (TFN), a bank account for your pay and details of a super fund ready. You get a TFN for free through the official process.

Your pay before tax is different from what lands in your account. Tax rules depend on your situation, and tax residency isn't the same as your visa status. Super is retirement money, not money for day-to-day spending.

0909Where to find work and how to apply better

Start with SEEK, Indeed and Workforce Australia. Also check employers' own websites, recruitment agencies and local Facebook groups.

Set up alerts for specific roles and locations. If you only search for “jobs Australia”, it's easy to miss the right ads.

In hospitality, it's also worth handing in your resume in person. Pick a quieter time, outside the breakfast or lunch rush. Prepare a short introduction: your experience, your availability and when you can start.

For jobs posted in social media groups, ask straight away for the business name, location, pay rate, type of engagement and number of hours.

The Edvise jobs database

Polish citizens who use our Work and Holiday package get access to a database of job offers for people on Working Holiday visas. It's one more place to start your search, alongside job sites and contacting employers directly.

Access to the database isn't a job guarantee. The outcome depends on the role's requirements, your preparation and the employer's own recruitment.

Before you agree to your first shift

Confirm the pay rate, your duties and how your hours are recorded. Also ask whether any trial is paid. A short, supervised demonstration of your skills can be unpaid, but ordinary work doesn't become unpaid just because it's called a “trial”.

Keep what was agreed, your own record of hours and your payslips. That makes it easier to check that your pay matches the work you did.

Information current as at 30 October 2026. This article provides general information about studying, visas and working in Australia and does not constitute migration, legal or tax advice. Edvise Education Agency, Sydney.