Getting Started in Australia – Backpacker Jobs in Australia

Backpacker Jobs for Getting Started in Australia!

There are plenty of jobs available as a backpacker in Australia. Remember, you must be on a working holiday visa and not just backpack around Australia. The Working Holiday Visa entitles you to work in one job for up to 6 months – A great chance to save money, meet friends, and explore the wonders Australia offers.

Whilst finding a job might not be a concern in the first few weeks or even months, many backpackers will discover that there are plenty of options when the time comes.

Signing up with an agency is many people’s first step. The routine here is that you register – sometimes undertaking some simple safety tests – and specify your area of interest. The agency will contact you when a job in that area becomes available. Ensure your CV (resume) is updated and your latest employment and job details are included.

Hostel notice boards can be a rich vein of information and contacts when looking for work. A Jobs board is not uncommon in the bigger backpacker hostels and is worth watching. Listen to your fellow backpackers too, as many will be a couple of months ahead of you in their adventure – they might have some inside knowledge and tell you how they found their job!

Changes in recent years mean backpackers are now allowed to work for one employer for a maximum of six months – a bonus if you plan to stay in one place longer and apply for contract work.

There are a couple of traditional jobs in the backpacker community, with the availability of each depending on individual circumstances. Below are some of the things that you can expect.

What sort of jobs can I expect as a backpacker in Australia?

Office-based work, like administration and call centre/sales jobs, is relatively easy to get hold of, as a position teaching English. To international students. Having a trade, like being a builder, electrician, nurse or hairdresser, will also be handy and will strengthen your chances of finding work. If you fancy mixing with other travellers 24/7, you may also be able to find work in the hostels themselves, usually doing things like cleaning up or changing bed sheets. Reception work also becomes available from time to time.

Another way of earning cash while enjoying Australia is harvesting work, like fruit picking. It is available all year round in many states, although you will probably find yourself out in the sticks in most cases. It can be difficult work, and it’s not for the faint-hearted. You’ll also need to check what is in season and where.

There is a rather attractive prize for doing these types of jobs. If you work for three months (approximately 88 days) in one place, you can apply for a second Working Holiday Visa.

Of course, if you’d prefer to stay in cities, bars, cafes, and restaurants are ubiquitous, and work is readily available. Many hospitality companies prefer employing backpackers as they can add an international flair to their establishment. Although having experience will benefit New South Wales and Victoria, having a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate is compulsory (costs about $85).

Typical backpacker jobs in Australia & Pay rate guides

(Note: These are approximations and shouldn’t be taken as gospel)

Bar/restaurants: around $13-18 an hour.

Admin work/call centres: around $14-21 an hour.

Legal support: around $21-26 an hour.

Teaching English: around $20-25 an hour.

Nannying: around $14-20 an hour.

Fruit picking: around $10-20 a basket.

Trade work: around $16-30 an hour.

Accounting: around $17-30 an hour.

IT: around $20-40 an hour.

Insurance underwriters: around $22-28 an hour.

Labouring: around $16-21 an hour.

As mentioned previously, as a backpacker in Australia, one of the best ways of discovering the country is to find jobs in regional Australia. Working in a job for 3 months will entitle you to a one-year extension on your Working Holiday Visa.

The government’s official website (www.jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail) lets you know where and when to find fruit-picking work.

For general job vacancies, www.seek.com.au is a good place to look, as is the free weekly BBM magazine (which is also available online at www.bbmlive.com ). BBM is a backpacker magazine with a large jobs section and is a great way to keep up to date with the world while travelling.

City newspapers—The Telegraph and Herald in Sydney, the West Australian in Perth, and The Age and Herald Sun in Melbourne—should also be scanned.

Notice boards in backpacker hostels are also worth looking at – jobs are often posted on job boards in the major backpacker hostels across Australia.

Signing with a recruitment company could put you first in line for several jobs. Tell them about your skills and how, even though you are a backpacker in Australia, your experience will make you the best person for the jobs they offer you. Some employers prefer to provide backpackers with jobs as they often can offer more flexibility than an Australian resident.

And the old-fashioned way, of glancing in shop windows or asking face-to-face, certainly won’t harm you either.

Tax

Before you get your job, you will need a Tax File Number (TFN) to work in Australia so you can pay income tax. For the first $21,601 you earn, you will be deducted 29%, with another one per cent added to the deductions between $21,601 and $52,000. However, the good news is you may be eligible to claim the tax back when you return home, and several firms specialise in helping you do so.

A typical backpacker tax refund is $2500 (according to Taxback.com).

Also read – 

Backpacker Salary Guide in Sydney 2025

Apply for Backpacker Jobs in Melbourne 2025

Farm Jobs for Backpackers in Australia 2025

Also visit – 

Need Help With Your Australian Visa

Leave your little friend with us when on holiday

Explore Western Australia with the Go West Handbook