The Best Backpacker Jobs On A Working Holiday Visa

Gabby Boucher

November 19th, 2024

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8 minute read

A Working Holiday Visa is one of the best ways to visit Australia! You get to stay for up to one whole year, have some epic travel experiences, meet new people, and immerse yourself in the laid-back Aussie lifestyle. Though it can be tempting to just focus on the "holiday" aspect of your visa, you'll probably need to work during your stay. Australia is not a cheap country to travel, but you can easily manage it if you work hard, save money, and travel cheaply!

This article will explore the best backpacker jobs on a Working Holiday Visa. Every person has unique skills, interests, and qualifications, but Australia has a wide variety of job opportunities that suit different types of travellers. If you're not sure where to start while job-hunting in Australia, consider one of these common backpacker jobs on your Working Holiday Visa!

The Best Backpacker Jobs On A Working Holiday Visa

These types of jobs are popular among backpackers in Australia for a number of reasons. Most of them pay well, allow you to make friends, and offer a flexible lifestyle so you can continue to travel and explore. Though a job is still a job, working in Australia can be a blast! On my Working Holiday Visa, some of my favourite travel experiences and all of my best friends came from jobs that I worked! 

Here are some of the best backpacker jobs on a Working Holiday Visa!

Hospitality

Working in hospitality is one of the easiest ways to make money on your Working Holiday Visa. Cafes, bars, restaurants, hostels, and hotels are almost always casual workers, part-time staff, or full-time staff. You can be a waiter, bartender, barista, cook, dishwasher, housekeeper, or cafe all-rounder. If you don't have any hospitality experience, a cafe all-rounder is a great place to start. Australia has a huge cafe culture as well, and there are tons of local businesses that are constantly hiring help.

Hospitality is also the perfect industry for making friends as it's a super social work environment. There is a lot of turnover with hospitality staff as well, so you don't need to feel bad about leaving to go travelling around Australia! Plus, the hourly wage is decent, and you'll get award rates if you work weekends and holidays. If you choose to work somewhere where you need to serve alcohol, don't forget to apply for an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate) before you start!

Where to find hospitality jobs in Australia: Hospitality jobs are plentiful around the country, though you'll find more opportunities in big cities like Sydney, Brisbane, or Melbourne.

Tourism

Similar to hospitality, tourism is a very social industry where you will have a blast making friends, chatting with customers and clients, and exploring Australia. Because of all the backpackers and travellers that come to Australia, there is a booming tourism industry with a wide variety of jobs available. Work in sales for a travel company or be a tour guide who takes tourists on trips! Be a dive instructor or a yoga instructor or a skipper or host on a yacht. Tourism is a very broad term, so you are sure to find something that suits your interests and talents. 

Tourism also has some of the best backpacker jobs for a Working Holiday Visa. Seasonal work is common in tourism, meaning you'll only have to work during the high season. So you can work hard for a few months while tourism is high, then spend a few weeks travelling Australia!

Where to find tourism jobs in Australia: The hotspots for tourism will have the most work available. This includes places like Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays, and other popular tourist locations like Byron Bay or Noosa. 

Labour & Trades

Construction is always happening all over Australia, meaning there are often general labour jobs as well as skilled tradesman positions available! If you don't have experience or certifications, you can get general labour and construction jobs that usually provide training on the job. 

If you already have a license or certification in any type of trade, you're in luck! Wages for skilled tradespeople in Australia are usually quite high, and you should be able to find a job easily. These jobs are great for people who prefer physical work, and you'll probably get to meet some local Aussies on the job sites. Just be sure to check what types of certifications you might need to work in construction in Australia. A white card is often required, and sometimes you'll have to take safety courses before you start work. 

Where to find labour jobs in Australia: Construction, labour, and trade work are plentiful all over Australia. Big cities tend to have more jobs going on!

Childcare

Another one of the best backpacker jobs on a Working Holiday Visa is childcare. Whether you're working as an au pair, babysitter, tutor, language teacher, or nanny, childcare is an amazing way to see what life for locals in Australia is really like! You'll get to spend quality time with an Australian family and bond with the kids you're caring for. Many nanny positions include accommodation on-site as well, so it's quite an immersive way to experience life in Australia. 

These jobs are perfect for those who love children and are keen to spend some time with a local family. If you're living in a home with a family, you might not be around other backpackers as much, so this will offer a more mellow environment than working in a bar or a hostel with other young people. Many nanny jobs want you to stay for a few months as well, so just keep that in mind before you commit to a long chunk of time with a family in a regional area!

Where to find childcare jobs in Australia: Anywhere! Check local job boards in any city or rural town to see which families need help with childcare. School holiday periods are particularly busy for childcare work.

Office & Computer Work 

Office work is also a great way to make money while staying in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. Whether you find work as a receptionist, an assistant, a secretary, a manager, a journalist, an accountant, a coder, a graphic designer, or any other type of office job, you'll be sure to rack up some savings for your adventures around Australia. These types of jobs do typically require prior experience or sometimes a university degree. But it depends on the level of job you're applying for, and entry-level positions are often available. 

You'll probably want to look for contract roles or temp jobs since you can only work with one employer for up to 6 months on a Working Holiday Visa. It can be helpful to look for contract work through an agency, or just narrow down your search to temporary jobs only. Either way, office work is great for travellers who are organised, efficient, and skilled at admin or computer work. You could even try to find remote admin work and be a digital nomad!

Where to find office jobs in Australia: Offices in small towns will most likely have their spots filled with locals, so you're best off looking for work in big cities. If you're looking for remote computer work, you can obviously work anywhere!

Farm Work

Last but not least on our list of backpacker jobs is farm work! I purposely left this one for last because there is a bit to unpack here. Farm work in Australia is almost synonymous with backpackers, mainly because of the Second Year Working Holiday Visa. If you want to extend your visa for a second year, you have to do 88 days of regional work, which usually means farm work. So you'll often see farms and fruit-packing sheds around Australia filled with backpackers!

Farm work in Australia varies in terms of pay and job quality. Some farms do take advantage of backpackers and pay very little. But you can definitely find farms that treat their workers very well, and I know people who have made tons of money working on farms. You just have to do in-depth research before you choose a job! Talk to other people who have worked there and have open communication with your employer to make sure it's the right fit.

Plenty of travellers choose to work on farms even if they don't need another visa. It can be a great experience where you learn new skills, live in an interesting environment, and get to know some locals. You can also try things like animal care or gardening instead of just fruit picking. Most farms include accommodation packages as well since they tend to be located far away from major cities. 

Where to find farm work in Australia: Small farms can be found anywhere in rural Australia. But bigger commercial farms have more jobs available, and there are some fruit-picking hotspots like Coffs Harbour, Bundaberg, Ayr, Stanthorpe, and Margaret River where farm work is plentiful. Check out our guide to finding farm work in Australia for more tips!

Make the most of your time off work by choosing one of our epic Australia travel itineraries!

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