Work & Travel Jobs: The Best Opportunities Abroad
- Waiters in restaurants, cafes and bars: $20–27 per hour
- Working in the Outback: 15 dollars per hour plus free accommodation and meals
- AU Pair: $350 a week plus accommodation and meals
- Cleaning in the hostel: approximately 2 hours daily for free accommodation
- Plastic factory: $22 per hour, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week
Contents of this post10 chapters
Nobody knows what they can do until they have tried.
Waitressing in restaurants, cafés & bars
Definitely one of my favourite jobs while travelling. When I arrived in Australia, I could barely speak any English and certainly couldn’t understand the Aussie accent! Thanks to the constant contact with customers, I learned the language super fast & made new friends
Pay: 20–27 dollars per hour
Travel insurance for Work and Travel
For longer trips there are international health insurance plans that can be cancelled monthly.
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Cleaner in motels & hostels
Probably the most common job for backpackers! In the hostel I had to clean for about 2 hours a day & got free accommodation in return. Definitely not the best job... It is smarter to work in a hotel or motel, because there you usually get an hourly wage!
Pay: 20–23 dollars per hour. In a hostel: free accommodation
Working in a plastic factory
Ohh, I hate factory work. Never again! My job was to click the snap fasteners onto lunch box lids, the whole time, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. But for a backpacker I could make decent money there!
Pay: 22 dollars per hour
Working on the potato field
You wouldn’t believe how fast the potatoes are shot through the machines. We had to sort out everything that wasn’t a potato, and quickly. The best part: listening to a podcast or music. Here too I worked at least 10 hours a day.
Pay: 20 dollars per hour
“Life is too short for ‘someday’.”
Janet Dannehl
Working on the kiwi field
I had to pick the kiwis that were not the right size and let them drop to the ground. Easy job! The best part: now and then I could see nests with the cutest little birds. While working I could also chat with the other people about everything under the sun. Downside: when it rains, there is no work!
Pay: 19 dollars per hour
My shuttle driver job
I usually got this job directly at the hostel. My task was to pick up new guests from the bus station. Easy again! Twice a day I had to drive for 10 minutes, and in return I paid nothing for my accommodation! Definitely better than cleaning
Pay: free accommodation
Working in the Outback
My absolute favourite job! This is where I gathered the most experience! The Outback is beautiful & has an incredible amount to offer. I learned how to handle cattle, shoot, ride a quad bike, ride a motorbike, the “farmer culture” & so much more.... You simply have to experience it!
Pay: 15 dollars per hour + free accommodation + meals
Working as an au pair
After all, I didn’t train as a childcare worker for nothing! Working with children is still incredibly fun for me! On top of that, my host family was super lovely & I felt completely at home!
Pay: 350 dollars per week + accommodation + meals
Promotion job
In a hostel I promoted it at the bus stations & picked up the new guests right afterwards. A great way to meet new people straight away!
Pay: free accommodation
The fact is:
I learned an incredible amount on my travels and wouldn’t want to miss a single one of these jobs. The time was incredibly exciting & thrilling! Of course I had to get my hands dirty once or twice - but it was worth it to me! I would do it all again at any time!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which Work-and-Travel Job Pays the Best?
I earned the most waiting tables: 20 to 27 dollars an hour. Next came cleaning motels at 20 to 23 dollars, the plastics factory at 22 dollars, the potato field at 20 dollars and the kiwi field at 19 dollars. In the outback, it was 15 dollars an hour, with accommodation and meals included.
How can I get free accommodation?
Through the hostel. I had to clean for about 2 hours a day in exchange for free accommodation. As a shuttle driver, I picked up new guests from the bus stop twice a day, with a 10-minute drive, and paid nothing for accommodation in return, definitely better than cleaning. The promotions job at the bus stations worked the same way.
Which job brought me the most?
Working in the outback, my absolute favourite job. I learned to handle cattle, shoot, ride quad bikes and motorbikes, and got to know farming culture.
Is factory work worth it?
For the money, yes; otherwise, never again. My job was to click clips onto lunchbox lids for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. As a backpacker, though, I could make good money there.
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