Work in Australia: EVERYTHING You NEED TO KNOW (Complete Guide)

Moving to Australia? Planning to get a job and work here? This post is a complete guide on EVERYTHING YOU MUST KNOW about working here (for migrants), including work hours, flexibility, holidays, average salary in Australia, minimum wage in Australia, things to avoid in the workplace, and much more.

How many hours a week do Australians work?

Let’s start with the basics. Usual full-time work hours in Australia are from 9am to 5pm but of course this can vary based on your industry – if you work at a bakery, for example, you might have to start work at 5am. But for office jobs, the usual time is 9 to 5, and that’s around 38 hours per week.  If you work less than 38 hours, that’s considered part-time work. 

What about lunch breaks?

Lunch breaks usually are between 30 minutes and 1 hour. And, of course if you need a break to go to the toilet or go for coffee, no one ever will have a problem with that. 

Should I work after hours (overtime) to get a promotion in Australia?

Now, I know there are some countries where staying after work hours is seen as ‘working hard’ and leaving on time is seen as ‘bad’. But in Australia, this is not big deal. Working longer is not seen either as good or bad. As long as you do your job, deliver good results, and perform well, no one will have a problem.

How flexible are Australian employers?

Australian employers have become much more flexible during recent years, particularly because of the pandemic. And you’ll see that many employers, especially in professional jobs, are very flexible in terms of your work hours.

For example, if I’m not a morning person or if you have a big commute to the office, or need to pick up your kids from school, you may be able to negotiate or make an arrangement with your boss to start work a bit later and leave the office a bit later. This is something that’s becoming more and more common in Australian workplaces

What about working from home? Remote work or Working from home has become very popular in most Australian workplaces since the pandemic – and I think that’s the case in most countries. So if you get an office-based job, it’s very likely that you’ll be working in hybrid mode – that is a few days in the office, and a few days at home. Some employers will allow you to work full time from home. 

How many vacation days do you get in Australia?

In Australia, both full time and part time employees have 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year. That is, 4 weeks of holidays per year. 

Is taking holidays seen as bad in Australia? Do people think you are lazy if you take holidays? No, I know that’s the case in some countries, but not in Australia.

Here they really value work life balance – and they actually encourage you to take holidays, and sometimes you don’t even have a choice. For example, most office-based workplaces usually shut down for around two weeks at the end of December for the holidays period, to encourage employees to spend the festivities with their families, travel and come back refreshed.  

The only thing to consider is that if you are planning to go on holidays, just give enough notice to your boss – it’s good practice to do that.

Do you get sick leave and parental leave in Australia?

Apart from annual leave, if you are an employee in Australia you can also access other types of paid leave depending on their circumstance – if you are sick or injured, you get up to 10 days of paid sick/personal leave per year.

You can also get paid carers leave if you have to look after someone. Or for example, if you just had a baby and you’ve been working with your employer for at least 12 months you can take paid parental leave for 18 weeks. If you are a student you may be able to take study leave as long as your course of studies is relevant to your role.

I leave you the link to the Fair Work site here, which has all the information you need. And if in doubt, talk to your employer.

What employee benefits do you get in Australia?

Apart from flexible work and paid leave, other benefits that you may get when working in Australia are paid education, that is, if you want to study a course that is relevant to your job, your employer may pay for your professional development.

You may also get discounts for public transport, some events, or for a gym memberships. You may also get access to something called ‘novated lease’ which means that you can buy a car through your company and get tax benefits.

There’re so many employee benefits, and these are just a few and the most common ones.

Are there many public holidays in Australia?

Yes! In Australia we have lots of public holidays, but not all of them are national, and they vary from state to state. For example, here in Melbourne we have a public holiday on Melbourne Cup day (November), which is a super important Australian horse race. But none of the other states have this day as a public holiday.

You can find information on Australian public holidays on the Fair work too.

What’s the minimum wage in Australia?

The current minimum wage in Australia is reviewed every year, but as of 2022, according to Fair Work, is $20.33 per hour or $772.60 AUD per week. 

What’s the average salary in Australia?

According to ABS data, if you consider both full time and part time workers, the median salary is at around $62k per annum before tax. 

And salaries in Australia are paid either on a fortnightly basis or monthly basis – depending on the employer. Your employer will issue a ‘payslip’, which contains your hours worked, pay per hour, superannuation, tax deductions for that period, etc.

And if you want to know how much Australians pay on tax based on salary level, check out the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) site and – they have a nice table showing each income bracket and the amount of tax payable.

Can you negotiate your salary in Australia?

Yes, of course, if you can demonstrate that you have great skills and experience that you can contribute to the job you’re applying to, you can definitely try to negotiate your salary (my advice is to do this once you have your employment offer, not before!)

If you want to know about average weekly earnings in your industry or job in Australia – check out JobOutlook.

5 Essential Things You Should Know About Working In Australia

1. Offensive comments or gossiping

In Australia, you can actually get fired if you make jokes or comments about someone’s appearance, or treat them differently based on their gender, ethnicity, race, or background.

Australian workplaces are pretty strict on compliance and workplace laws, such as Equal Employment Opportunity, and Anti-discrimination.These laws mean that everyone has the right to equal access to employment opportunities, and also the right to feel safe in the workplace, both physically or psychologically. 

And that’s why you’ll find that Workplace Health and Safety policies are also a big thing in Australia. For example, for psychological safety, most employers provide employee assistance programs, which cover free counselling services for their staff and family members.

2. Probation Period

Another thing that you should know about working in Australia is that when you get a job,  you are usually given a 3 to 6 months probation period – if during that period your employer considers you are not really suitable for the job because you are not performing as expected, they may terminate your contract.

And speaking of performance, it’s common practice in Australia to have ‘performance reviews’ throughout the year, this is usually a chat or discussion with your boss about your performance, your development goals within the company, etc.

3. Giving enough notice when resigning

If you want to quit your job, always check your contract, because you are usually expected to ‘give notice’, that is, let your employer know that you will be resigning or leaving your job at least 2 or 4 weeks in advance. 

4. You don’t necessarily need a degree to get a job

Do I need a degree to get a job in Australia? This is a question that I get asked very often. And the answer is: not necessarily.

Whether you need a degree or not to get a job, depends on your industry and role. The qualification requirements to work as a chef are very different to those required to work as an accountant. I

For some jobs, having many years of experience is more valued than having a bachelor degree.

My advice is to do some research on your industry, and checking out sites like Job Outlook. This site is amazing for doing good research on your occupation and career profile – as it shows you the different jobs and industries in Australia and the different skills and qualifications you need for each job.

You should also check job ads on Seek to see what are the requirements.

5. English tests for work are not always necessary

Do I need the IELTS to get a job in Australia? This is another question that I get asked very often. And the answer again, is: not necessarily.

Look, as long as you have work rights in Australia and are able to show you have a good English level at the interview, it is very unlikely you’ll be asked for an English test to get a job.

It could be the case though, that if you are applying for a graduate job with a big consulting firm, they might want proof of English level. But for other jobs, it’s unlikely.

6. Getting a job in Australia is competitive

Another question I get asked often is: How hard is it to get a job in Australia for migrants?

I’ll be honest, if you don’t have a lot of experience, getting a job in Australia is not super easy. But this is for both migrants and Australians. The reality is that it is likely that you’ll have to apply for many many jobs before getting a job, or even being called for an interview.

The secret for getting a job here comes down to submitting a good job application, that is, tailoring your resume and cover letter, researching the company, and preparing well for the interview. If you feel you don’t have enough experience or the skills needed to get the job you want, I suggest volunteering or doing an internship, enrolling in a course, and getting any opportunity you can to gain these skills.

If you want more advice on the job application process, check out my other post on this topic. And if you want help to write a Cover Letter – check out this guide.