Seasonal jobs in Australia: harvest, ski and tourism work on a Working Holiday visa

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What does seasonal work in Australia involve?

Horticulture drives most seasonal hiring: picking fruit and vegetables, thinning, pruning and packing in sheds. Tourism, alpine ski resorts, Christmas retail and hospitality in the tropical north add thousands of further short-term roles every year across the country.

Seasons are the reverse of Europe and North America. Summer runs from December to February and winter from June to August, so a well-organised worker can follow the Harvest Trail from Tasmania to Queensland and stay employed for most of the year.

Where and when to go for each crop

In Queensland, Bundaberg, Bowen and the Sunshine Coast hire for tomatoes, strawberries and winter vegetables from May to November. Stanthorpe on the Granite Belt needs pickers for apples, stone fruit and vegetables from December to April.

In Victoria, Sunraysia and Swan Hill harvest citrus from May to September, while table and wine grapes keep Mildura busy from February to April. The Goulburn Valley around Shepparton picks pears and apples from late summer into autumn.

Tasmania recruits for cherries in December and January, then apples from March to May. In New South Wales, the Riverina around Griffith offers citrus, grapes and vegetables, while Western Australia hires in Carnarvon and the Margaret River vineyards.

Ski resorts, tourism and retail peaks

Alpine resorts such as Thredbo, Perisher, Falls Creek, Mount Hotham and Mount Buller usually open from June to early October. They hire instructors, lift operators, rental technicians, bar and kitchen staff and housekeepers, often with staff accommodation provided.

The tropical north, from Cairns to Darwin, peaks during the dry season from May to October. Large cities add temporary staff for Christmas and the January sales in retail, warehousing and hospitality, with recruitment usually starting in October.

Who can work in Australia for a season?

Australian and New Zealand citizens work freely. Everyone else needs a visa, and there is no general seasonal visa open to individual applicants. The main route is the Working Holiday Maker programme, split between the subclass 417 and subclass 462 visas.

Citizens of France, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Denmark and the United Kingdom can apply for the 417 visa up to age 35; most other nationalities are capped at 30. The visa allows a twelve-month stay and normally six months maximum with any one employer.

Second and third years through specified work

A second-year visa requires three months, counted as 88 days, of specified work in regional Australia, such as agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining or construction. A third year requires six months. UK passport holders have been exempt since July 2024.

Days must be backed by payslips and paid at least the relevant award rate. Unpaid or underpaid work does not count. The Fair Work Ombudsman's free Record My Hours app helps workers keep a reliable record of hours and quantities picked.

The PALM scheme for Pacific workers

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme lets approved employers recruit workers from nine Pacific countries and Timor-Leste. Short-term placements last up to nine months for harvests; long-term placements run from one to four years in agriculture, meat processing or hospitality.

Recruitment runs only through partner governments and approved employers, never through individual applications from elsewhere. Short-term PALM workers pay a flat 15% tax and must receive approved accommodation, transport and welfare support monitored by the Australian government.

How much do seasonal workers earn in Australia?

From 1 July 2025, the national minimum wage is AUD 24.95 an hour, or AUD 948 for a 38-hour week. The Fair Work Commission reviews it every 1 July, so the current rate should always be checked before a season.

Most farm workers are covered by the Horticulture Award. Casual contracts add a 25% loading in place of paid leave. Since April 2022, pieceworkers have been entitled to a minimum hourly guarantee, so slow picking cannot push pay below the award rate.

Hours, accommodation and deductions

Farm days start early, often before sunrise in summer, and weeks can reach fifty hours at peak harvest. Farm or working-hostel accommodation usually costs AUD 150 to 250 a week, and any deduction must be agreed in writing beforehand.

Working Holiday Makers are taxed at 15% on the first AUD 45,000 of income. Employers also pay superannuation at 12% of wages since July 2025, and departing visa holders can claim most of it back after leaving Australia permanently.

Steps to land a seasonal job

Careful planning avoids weeks without income. The steps below apply to Working Holiday Makers; PALM workers follow the process organised by their own government and the approved Australian employer, who also arranges flights and arrival support.

1. Check eligibility for the 417 or 462 visa and apply online through the Department of Home Affairs.
2. Budget around AUD 5,000 in savings and buy health insurance for the whole stay.
3. Get a Tax File Number, open a bank account and choose a superannuation fund on arrival.
4. Pick a region using crop calendars and search Workforce Australia, MADEC or state agriculture sites.
5. Check that any labour-hire firm is licensed, especially in Victoria and Queensland, before signing.
6. Insist on a written contract showing the award, hourly or piece rate and accommodation costs.
7. Keep payslips and timesheets to prove the 88 days of specified work.

Budget and documents at a glance

The figures below are typical for a three-month season. They vary by region, crop and weather, and rain can stop picking for days without pay for workers on piece rates, so a cash buffer matters.

Common mistakes and scams to avoid

Most problems involve unregistered middlemen and overpriced accommodation. The Queensland government reminds jobseekers that legitimate public recruitment never charges fees. The following warning signs should make any worker pause before accepting an offer.

• Paying a placement fee or job deposit to a contact found on social media.
• Accepting cash without payslips, which makes it impossible to prove the 88 days.
• Signing a piece-rate agreement without the minimum hourly guarantee required by the award.
• Arriving in a region between harvests and burning through savings while waiting.
• Handing a passport or bank card to an employer or hostel manager.

Frequently asked questions

The answers below cover the situations most often raised by international applicants. Official pages from Home Affairs and the Fair Work Ombudsman always take precedence when rules change, which typically happens each 1 July.

Can I apply for a Working Holiday visa after 35?

No. Eligible nationals must apply before their 36th birthday, or before 31 for most other passports. Older applicants need an employer-sponsored visa such as the Skills in Demand visa, which is rarely available for low-skilled seasonal roles.

Does a ski resort bar job count towards a second year?

Tourism and hospitality count only in northern Australia and certain remote or very remote areas. Alpine resorts in Victoria and New South Wales generally do not qualify, unlike regional farm work, so always check the postcode against the official list first.

Should I secure a job before flying out?

It is not mandatory but wise for Tasmanian cherries or ski resorts, which recruit months ahead. For large harvests, many workers still find jobs on arrival through working hostels, licensed labour-hire firms and state harvest services listed on government sites.

Can a seasonal worker be paid only by output?

Yes. Piece rates remain legal, but they must be agreed in writing and guarantee at least the award's minimum hourly rate for every hour worked. Underpayment can be reported to the Fair Work Ombudsman, whatever the worker's visa or nationality.