Where to find fly-in fly-out jobs
In short
- FIFO jobs are spread across job boards, company and contractor career pages, labour hire, Facebook groups and word of mouth. Use all of them at once.
- Most FIFO workers are hired by contractors, not the mining companies: scaffolding, maintenance, cleaning, catering, drilling and many more.
- Search job titles, not just “FIFO”: utility, camp attendant, trade assistant, labourer, driller’s offsider, entry level operator.
- Hiring picks up after New Year and in July. Shutdowns run all year, often at short notice, so keep your phone on and follow up with a call.
We don't list jobs or find people work. This guide shows you where to look and how to look, so you can do it yourself. Nobody can promise you a job.
Where are FIFO jobs advertised?
Everywhere at once, which is why people miss them. Use every channel, not just one. Common
| Where | What you'll find | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Job boards | SEEK, Indeed, LinkedIn. The biggest volume of ads, from mining companies, contractors and labour hire. | Search by job title (see below) and set up email alerts so you're one of the first to apply. |
| Company and contractor career pages | Jobs that are sometimes only posted there, and "expressions of interest" (EOI) to join a pool. | Make a list of the contractors working in your target region and check their pages weekly. |
| Labour hire | Shutdown and short-term work, often at short notice. | Register and build a full profile once. More on this below. |
| Searching "[job title] FIFO [region]" pulls up ads from boards and company sites in one go. | Check the result is on the real company's website before you apply. | |
| Facebook groups | FIFO job and shutdown crew posts, plus people asking for crew at short notice. | Useful, but scammers post there too. Never pay anyone from a group. |
| Word of mouth | Jobs that get filled before they're advertised, by someone who knows someone. | Tell everyone you're looking. This is still the strongest route in. |
Who actually hires FIFO workers?
Most people on a mine site don't work for the mining company. They work for a contractor hired for one part of the job, and contractors are where most of the openings are. Look past the big mining names. Common
| Type of company | Roles they hire for |
|---|---|
| Mining and resources companies | Operators, maintenance, trades, plant and camp roles directly. Fewer entry-level spots, and competitive. |
| Camp services (catering and cleaning) | Camp attendants, housekeepers, kitchen hands, catering attendants, utility, wet mess (bar) staff |
| Scaffolding and rope access | Scaffolders, rope access technicians, trade assistants, labourers |
| Maintenance and shutdown contractors | Fitters, boilermakers, riggers, mechanics, trade assistants, labourers |
| Heavy vehicle and mobile plant maintenance | Heavy vehicle mechanics, diesel fitters, washers and labourers |
| Electrical contractors | Electricians, instrument technicians, trade assistants |
| Industrial cleaning | Plant cleaners and washers, confined space and vacuum truck crews |
| Painting and blasting | Painters, blasters, trade assistants |
| Drilling companies | Driller's offsiders (assistants), many of them entry level |
| Transport | Bus drivers taking crews to and from site, truck drivers |
| Survey | Survey assistants and surveyors |
| Labour hire | A bit of everything above, especially shutdown crews |
What job titles should you search for?
Searching just "FIFO" gives you a mess of results. Search the actual job titles. These are the entry-level titles that came up again and again in real Australian ads in October 2026:1
| Search for | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Utility, service attendant, FIFO utility | General camp or site support: cleaning, laundry, kitchen help, grounds |
| Camp attendant, catering attendant, kitchen utility | Camp hospitality and kitchen roles |
| Trade assistant / trades assistant (TA) | Helping tradespeople, often on shutdowns |
| Labourer, mine site labourer, labourer/sampler | General site work. Some include sampling (bagging and labelling rock samples). |
| Driller's offsider, driller's assistant | Helping a drill crew. Many are advertised as entry level or traineeships. |
| Entry level operator, new to industry operator | Trainee machinery or plant operator roles. Rarer, competitive. |
| Industrial cleaner, confined space labourer | Cleaning plant equipment, often on shutdowns. Confined space tickets needed. |
| EOI (expression of interest), casual pool | Not one job but a list the company calls from when work comes up. Worth joining. |
Narrow the results by adding a roster ("2:1"), a region ("Pilbara", "Goldfields", "Bowen Basin") or "shutdown".
Watch out for "FIFO" in the title of non-mining jobs. In October 2026, many ads for "Entry level FIFO sales representative" were travelling sales roles, not mine site work.1 If the ad doesn't mention a site, a roster or checks like a medical and drug test, it probably isn't a mine job.
Some ads are marked "Indigenous" or "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander". Those are identified positions for First Nations applicants. Some ads also say you must already live in a certain state, so read the requirements before you apply.
How does labour hire work?
- Register and build your profile. Upload your CV, tickets, licences and experience. A complete profile gets matched to jobs. A half-finished one gets skipped.
- They contact you by email or message when work comes up that fits your profile, often shutdowns.
- Reply fast. Shutdown spots go to whoever confirms first.
In Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT, labour-hire providers must hold a licence, and each state has a public register you can check. Law3,4 Western Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Northern Territory don't have a licensing scheme, so check the company in other ways (see the red flags below).
When is the best time to look?
- After New Year: hiring picks up again after the Christmas break.
- July: the start of the new financial year (1 July) brings new budgets and new hiring.
- All year round: shutdowns happen in every month, except around Christmas.
How much notice you get varies a lot. Sometimes you know about a shutdown weeks or months ahead, sometimes only a few days. When something breaks down there can be an emergency shutdown, and you could be flying out the next day, because every day the plant isn't running costs the mine a lot of money. Varies
Where are the regional hubs?
Many contractors work out of offices and yards in regional mining towns rather than the capital cities, and they mobilise crews from there. Common
- Western Australia: Kalgoorlie and Leonora (Goldfields), Karratha and Port Hedland (Pilbara). Perth has company head offices and the airport, but surprisingly few contractor yards.
- Queensland: Mackay, Moranbah and Emerald (Bowen Basin), Gladstone, Townsville and Mount Isa.
- New South Wales: the Hunter Valley (Singleton, Muswellbrook) and Cobar.
- Northern Territory and South Australia: Darwin, and towns near the big mines.
If you're on a working holiday and flexible, spending time in a hub town can put you closer to the people who hire. Australians are generally outgoing and friendly, so dropping in with a CV or striking up a conversation is normal, as long as you're polite and don't overstay.
How do you apply so you get noticed?
- Apply early. Set up alerts and apply on the day an ad goes up.
- Follow up with a phone call. Many Australian recruiters would rather take a quick call than read another email. Say who you are, which job you applied for, and that you're available. Common
- Keep your tickets ready to send. Have photos or scans of your White Card, licences and other tickets in one folder on your phone.
- Answer every call. An unknown number could be the job. Set up your voicemail properly.
- Tailor your CV to the job title you're applying for. See mistakes that cost people the job.
How do you read a job ad, and spot a fake?
Signs of a real site job: the ad names the company or a known recruiter, the region or site, the roster, the role, the tickets and checks needed (medical, drug and alcohol test, sometimes a police clearance), and how to apply.
Red flags from Scamwatch and what we see in FIFO ads:2,6
- You're asked to pay a "recruitment fee", or pay for training materials, before you start
- A recruiter contacts you out of the blue by text, WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram
- Very high pay for very little effort, or for "no experience needed" with no detail about the work
- A fast hiring process with no interview or questions about your experience and references
- Pressure to decide or pay quickly
- Requests for your passport or ID before you're sure the company is genuine
- No real company name, website or address you can check
Scammers post fake ads on trusted job boards too, and they pretend to be well-known companies and recruiters.2 If you're unsure, look up the company's phone number yourself and call them. To check the pay is at least the legal minimum for a job, use the Fair Work Pay Calculator.5 Report scams to Scamwatch.
A simple weekly search routine
- Once: build your CV, scan your tickets, and register with 3–5 labour-hire companies and contractors in your target region.
- Daily: check your job alerts and apply the same day. Answer every call.
- Twice a week: call to follow up on the jobs you applied for.
- Weekly: check the career pages on your contractor list, and tell one more person you're looking.
- Always: keep a bag half-packed. Shutdown calls can come with a day or two's notice.
New to all of this? Start with What is FIFO? and how to get a FIFO job with no experience.
Questions
Where are FIFO jobs advertised?
On the big job boards (SEEK, Indeed, LinkedIn), on contractor and mining company career pages, through labour-hire companies, in Facebook groups, and a lot by word of mouth. Use all of them at once. Many jobs are filled through contacts before they are ever advertised.
What should I search for on job boards?
Search the job titles, not just “FIFO”: utility, service attendant, camp attendant, catering attendant, kitchen utility, trade assistant (TA), labourer, driller’s offsider or assistant, and entry level operator. Add “FIFO”, “2:1” or a region if there are too many results.
Are “entry level FIFO sales” jobs mining jobs?
No. Many ads with “FIFO” in the title are travelling sales roles, not mine site work. Read the ad: a real site job names the roster, the site or region, and the checks you’ll need, like a medical and drug test.
Is it worth registering with labour hire?
Yes. You build a profile once with your CV, tickets and experience, and they send you emails or messages when work comes up, often shutdown work. In Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT, labour-hire providers must hold a licence, which you can check on the state register.
When is the best time of year to look for FIFO work?
Hiring picks up after New Year and again at the start of the financial year in July. Shutdowns run all year round, except around Christmas.
How much notice do you get for a shutdown?
It varies. Sometimes you know weeks or months ahead, sometimes only a few days. Emergency shutdowns, when something breaks down, can mean flying out the next day, because every day the plant isn’t running costs the mine a lot of money.
Should I follow up after applying for a FIFO job?
Yes. A short, polite phone call after you apply is normal in Australia, and recruiters often respond to a call faster than an email. Keep it brief: who you are, the job you applied for, and that you’re available.
Sources
- SEEK search results for “FIFO no experience”, “entry level mining”, “camp attendant”, “trades assistant mining”, “shutdown labourer” and “mining labourer” (job titles viewed 26 October 2026)
- Scamwatch (ACCC): Jobs and employment scams, warning signs and how to protect yourself
- NSW Government: Update on labour hire regulation (which states license labour hire providers, with links to each register)
- Labour Hire Licensing Queensland: about the licensing scheme and the register of licences
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Pay Calculator (check minimum pay rates for a job)
- WA ScamNet: fake mining jobs website warning
General information only. Rosters, pay and rules depend on your employer, your agreement and your site. Your contract and site induction come first.