What Kind of Working Holiday Jobs Are in Australia & New Zealand?

While gap years can be pricey, the working holiday schemes in Australia and New Zealand allow you to travel extensively without having to worry about your finances. You’ll also have the opportunity to earn valuable professional experience while you’re traveling! 

Both countries are among the few that offer a year or even longer of traveling and working abroad in diverse cities and alluring landscapes. Read on to find out the kind of working holiday jobs available in Australia or New Zealand!

A working holiday scheme allows you to travel to a country as any tourist would, but with the option to work and earn money through short-term jobs (and ongoing work) as you travel. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in a community without racking up huge expenses, and these visas often last up to a year or even longer in some cases. 

The working holiday scheme is available for travelers of certain nationalities from the ages of 18-30 (or 35 in some cases) who meet its basic qualifications. This visa allows its holders to live and work anywhere in the country for a full year or longer in whatever job or industry they decide to pursue. 

• Best for: Adventure seekers with licenses/certifications perfect for guiding, diving, or regional eco-tours
• Salary: $15-$32 USD/hour
• Perks: Tips, free trips, and excursions 

If you’re adventurous, enthusiastic, and a strong communicator, consider working for a travel group as a tour guide, assistant, or coordinator. As a tour guide or travel assistant, you’ll actively lead experiences from city tours and eco-adventures to trekking, camping, or even scuba diving.

These jobs offer solid pay and  help you build skills in  administration, program coordinating, customer service, and management. Contrary to many typical working holiday jobs in Australia and New Zealand, this can lead to extensive professional development and growth. 

• Best for: People who have excellent nurturing and organizational skills and enjoy spending time with families 
• Salary: Stipend of around $500-$680 USD/monthly
• Perks: Free accommodation and board

Becoming an au pair or a nanny offers you the chance to work and form a strong connection with a family. As an au pair or nanny, you’ll have responsibilities such as childcare and housekeeping, with tasks including playing, teaching, assisting with homework, preparing meals, tidying up, and serving as a good role model.

In addition to a monthly stipend courtesy of your host family, you’ll benefit from free accommodation and board for your hard work. Not only is this an excellent way to spend more time in a single location while making your budget stretch, it’s a great way to share your cultural experience with a family. 

Read more: 5 Reasons You Should Au Pair Abroad

• Best for: Aspiring educators who want to gain valuable experience for their resume 
• Salary: $20-24 USD/hour
• Perks: Paid vacation

If you’re an aspiring teacher on a gap year, you can still develop your teaching resume in Australia or New Zealand. While it makes sense for schools or employers to hire local teachers, it’s still possible to find teaching assistant roles on your working holiday visa. 

Teaching assistants have a good work-life balance because they support other teachers rather than managing entire classrooms themselves. You’ll provide teacher and student support in public schools, international schools, ESL camps, after-school clubs, or other. Teaching assistants need to demonstrate a clean criminal background check, and prior experience working with children is desirable but not essential. 

• Best for: Outgoing travelers eager for free accommodation and community life
• Salary: Minimum wage ($13-$16 USD/hour)
• Perks: Free accommodation 

Hostel and hotel jobs are one of the easiest ways to find work in Australia or New Zealand. Thanks to its booming tourist sectors and high turnover rates, these entry-level roles are widely available and typically don’t require a long-term commitment. 

As a traveler yourself, your experience navigating new cities and connecting frequently with new people will make you a natural fit for hostel or hotel work. Roles range from receptionists, concierge, housekeepers, guest service agents, and more. This is also a great way for you to meet other like-minded travelers. 

• Best for: Best for friendly people who seek flexible hours and a paid entry-level job.
• Salary: Minimum wage ($13-$16 USD/hour)
• Perks: Store discounts 

Much like hotel or hostel work, the retail industry has a high turnover rate. When combined with low requirements and minimal training, retail work is a convenient way to fund your travels abroad. Being a people person and having social skills goes a long way in finding employment in retail, since you’ll be interacting with customers daily.

However, be mindful of when you’re applying, as business high and low seasons will also determine demand and job availability. A surf shop in Byron Bay or Raglan won’t be hiring many people in winter, for example. That being said, the seasonality of retail work can also help save up money during the busy season to fund your travel when the most popular attractions are much less active.

• Best for: Energetic socializers who thrive in fast-paced environments 
• Salary: Minimum wage ($13-$16 USD/hour)
• Perks: Potential for tips 

If hotel and retail isn’t fast-paced enough for you, consider working as a barista, server, or bartender. The food and beverage service industry is similar to hospitality and retail work, with comparable salaries and ease of finding a job. Despite seasonal hiring patterns, establishments require many workers to operate a successful business, whether you’re a waiter/waitress, front of house, chef, kitchen porter, or other. 

Working in these fast paid environments is a great way to earn as you travel because you can also earn a little extra through tips. Although tipping culture here isn’t as prevalent as in the US, people will still tip if you’ve gone the extra mile to improve their experience, especially in tourist city destinations. 

• Best for: Interns and professionals who want to focus on their long-term career 
• Salary: Unpaid (internship), $20+ USD/hour
• Perks: Office experience, networking

Office jobs are essential to businesses in Australia and New Zealand. Although working holidays go hand-in-hand with gap years, it can also help launch your long-term career in Australia or New Zealand. Since you’re in-country and you speak the language, you’re in a great position to find permanent work. 

Unlike hospitality, office roles typically require experience, education, and a long-term commitment to the industry. If your goal is to just gain career experience rather than travel funds, consider an internship abroad to help you break into the industry. 

• Best for: Physically capable individuals who enjoy working outdoors 
• Salary: $0-$22 USD/hour
• Perks: Free accommodation and board 

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty with some manual work, consider becoming a farm worker! Farm work can fund your travels with free accommodation and board, and it offers a unique side of Australia or New Zealand after stints in the city. From livestock farms to vineyards, farmwork can come in many different forms. 

Although people engage in regional work to get their working holiday visa, it’s also possible to find paid farmwork in Australia and New Zealand. Bear in mind that you will need to be relatively fit, healthy, and resilient to do farm work, especially during hotter seasons. 

• Best for: Fit individuals or skilled tradespeople who don’t mind manual working using their hands 
• Salary: $16-$30 USD/hour
• Perks: Subsidies for visa, flight costs

Fit individuals and skilled tradespeople can easily find construction work in Australia and New Zealand. Not only do both countries have a high demand for workers, but many travelers opt for work in the tourism and hospitality sector, leaving plenty of opportunity in construction for skilled and unskilled laborers. What’s more, construction work in eligible regional areas can count towards renewing your visa in Australia. 

Due to the nature of the work, it’s required that you have a basic level of fitness, with responsibilities including material handling, operating machinery, assisting people in scaffolding, concreting, and more. While many entry-level workers get into construction to earn quickly, they leave with practical skills that help them climb the ladder in a financially rewarding industry.

• Best for: Fit individuals who don’t mind manual working using their hands 
• Salary: $20-$41+ USD/hour 
• Perks: Accommodation, paid transportation, rotating shifts 

You may be surprised to hear that the mining industry, particularly in Australia, attracts people from all over the world due to its high salary and worker demand. Mining jobs come in a variety of entry-level and skilled roles, with entry-level roles including being a driller's offsider, truck driver, trade assistants, admin, onsite support worker, and more. Skilled positions can range from electricians, mechanics, mobile plant operators, safety officers, to emergency response, and other roles. 

While this industry comes with hard work, the mining industry pays very well regardless of your experience, particularly in Australia. While some jobs function on a more traditional schedule, others work on a rotational schedule or a FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) format, requiring 3 weeks of intense work followed by 3 weeks off, for example. 

From online job boards and Go Overseas to finding work in-person, there are many places where you can find working holiday jobs in Australia and New Zealand. 

• Gap year programs: Gap year programs can provide a bulk of the support for travelers who want to visit Australia and or New Zealand. With a gap year program, you’ll not only receive visa support, but you’ll be guaranteed job placement or receive job support. What’s more, you’ll join the in-country orientation with other travelers, allowing you to make friends more easily. 
• Job boards: Job boards such as Seek, Backpacker Job Board, and Backpacker Board lists many jobs across many different industries for travelers. Some job boards cater to local professionals, others cater specifically to backpackers. Go Overseas’ job board also offers opportunities in these blissful Oceanic countries!
• In-person: Many employees don’t sponsor working visas for short-term jobs, and because of this, it can be a good idea to enter the country on a working holiday visa and search from there. While in-country, you can make a greater impression and offer convenience rather than someone applying from afar. 

Although requirements vary slightly between both countries, here’s what you need to obtain the working holiday visa for Australia and New Zealand: 

It can be intimidating looking for work, but Australia and New Zealand offer not only an abundance of opportunities but a high quality of life that will enrich your travel experience. From being open-minded and laid back about where your working holiday takes you to searching for a career with intent, the working holiday scheme offers the perfect freedom and endless possibilities for travelers. 

Read more about working abroad:

• Complete Guide to the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa
• Complete Guide to the Australia Work & Holiday Visa
• The Ultimate Guide to Working Holiday Visas for US Citizens
• Best Working Holidays for UK Citizens