WORK IN AUSTRALIA
Going on a working holiday or gap year in Australia allows you to work and travel your way around Oz and experience more of the amazing country and it's people.
There are lots of really well-paid jobs in Oz, so you'll be able to try something new and make it part of your travelling experience.
Below is our useful guide to working in Australia.
MOST POPULAR JOBS
FOR BACKPACKERS
The most popular jobs that people do when they're backpacking in Australia are farm work, hospitality work, office or admin type work and labouring or construction. Working in hostels for free accommodation is popular as well.
We recommend that you don't settle for a job you dislike. Instead do something fun like work on a boat on the Whitsundays, or work in an outback pub or on a cattle station, or become a dive master on the Great Barrier Reef.
BEFORE YOU START WORK
Before you start work you'll need to sort out a few things. You'll probably need your resume (which we recommend you do before you leave home), you'll need appropriate work clothes and maybe need to do a training course. You'll need to open an Australian bank account, get a Tax File Number (which you can apply for here) and you'll need to know where to look for work.
HOW MUCH WILL YOU EARN?
Wages in Australia are excellent. Even the most low-skilled jobs pay over $20 an hour. Most admin, office and retail jobs pay around $20-25 an hour. Hospitality jobs usually pay $20-30 an hour and labouring and construction work pays around $30-40 an hour.
And with a Working Holiday Visa you can work with an employer for up to 6 months, or longer in certain types of jobs.
Most people that go backpacking in Australia will do some travelling, then work along the way to top up their savings, then do more travelling.
TAX AND SUPERANNUATION
When you work in Australia you'll need to pay income tax. You'll be taxed at 15% for the first $45,000 that you earn, then at higher rates if you earn more.
However when you leave Australia you might be able to claim some of the tax you've paid back, which could give you some extra spending money if you're stopping off in Asia on the way home.
Your employer will also pay 10% on top of what you earn into a Superannuation (retirement) fund. And you can claim some of this back when you leave Oz.
HOW TO FIND WORK
There are two important things you need to know if you're going to be looking for a job in Australia. Firstly, you need to know where to look. This will depend on what type of work you're looking for. The biggest source of job ads in Australia is Seek.
Secondly, you need to know how to go about it. Should you call up potential employers, email them or go and see them? And what should you say at the interview?
If you're coming to Oz and want help to find a job check out our Oz Intro working holiday packages.
GET HELP TO FIND WORK
Looking for work in a new country can be daunting, especially if you don't have much experience or if you're travelling alone.
We've been helping backpackers in Australia find work since 2005, so if you're coming to Oz on a working holiday or gap year then check out our Oz Intro working holiday packages.