The Top 5 Part Time and Casual Jobs in Australia (and their Salaries)
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Casual jobs are the perfect way to get into the game. Whether you’re a teen looking for your first ever job with no experience required, or you’re older and need to find something that better fits with your busy schedule while still earning great pay, Australia has plenty of casual opportunities with competitive hourly rates. With so many options out there and new casual vacancies opening every day, the best way you can begin your job search is by understanding which casual jobs are among the best paying in Australia.
Christmas Casual Retail Staff
Starting in October, retail stores across Australia ramp up their hiring as they start looking for a casual team to handle the business holiday shopping period. Desperate times mean desperate measures, meaning many employers are willing to pay more. Throw in holiday and weekend penalty rates on top of that and you can make bank in only a few months, with an average hourly rate of $30 leading to an average salary of $56,000 to $59,000.
While these casual jobs are demanding, fast-paced, and have high minimum hours, the tasks involved are fairly easy, ranging from customer service, sales, and stocking shelves. Prior experience needed is minimal or even non-existent, and many employers will offer full training for new casual hires, and many of these casual jobs can lead to ongoing work after the Christmas period if you perform well.
Café Baristas
Australians love their coffee, and with a café on virtually every major street corner in every city, the need for baristas remains at a constant high. It’s also another easy entry-level job with virtually no requirements or experience needed to get started, just the availability to work during peak customer hours. The average salary for café baristas in Australia is $30 to $32 per hour, with annual earnings ranging from $47,576 to $58,329.
The job itself is fairly straightforward, consisting largely of customer service and cash handling. Of course, you need to know how to make a good cup of coffee. While plenty of café casual jobs found in Australia are entry level, it won’t hurt your chances to gain experience beforehand by taking a quick, one day barista training course. Throw in an optional latte art course to really show off your skills and cafes will be practically begging you to join their friendly team.
Hospitality and Back of House
Casual jobs in hospitality are everywhere, easy to find, require little if any experience, often offer immediate starts, have flexible hours, and pay well thanks to Australian penalty rates. Front of house positions like waitstaff and bartenders take care of the customer service side of things, while back of house roles include chefs, kitchen hands, and dishwashers.
Salary depends on the job type. On average, front of house roles tend to earn a little more, with these roles earning just over $30 per hour compared to just under this for back of house. The average salary for both falls roughly around the $55k mark.
Working for any venue which serves alcohol first requires an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate, even if you’re not directly involved in the sale or handling. This qualification is easy and cheap to get, just complete a simple one day course and you’re ready to go.
Casual Warehouse Team Members
The availability of warehouse casual jobs has exploded thanks to the growth of online shopping and logistics. The work is stable year round and the tasks are varied, ranging from picking and packing orders, loading and unloading trucks, and stock management. The average salary for casual jobs in a warehouse is about $32.18 per hour, with entry-level roles generally starting around $21–$22 per hour, and final salary ranging between $43,669 to $58,944.
While many of these are entry level with no qualifications required, depending on the kind of work you want to do and how much you’d like to earn it’s best to complete some short course qualifications first. Forklift roles will require a forklift licence, and most other roles will require you to complete a manual handling course for workplace health and safety compliance.
Customer Service Representatives
Customer service and call centre positions are one of the best casual jobs for those with great people skills. The tasks are easy, ranging from answering phone calls, responding to emails, processing customer enquiries, and resolving issues, and the shift towards remote work adds extra flexibility. Most customer service roles have previous experience necessary, with companies providing full training on their products, systems, and procedures, and the experience gained translates to other industries, as nearly every business needs customer service skills.
Average customer service earnings are between $32–$33 per hour, with annual salary ranging from $58,000 to $65,400.
Skills For a Better Part Time or Casual Job
Knowing where to look for Australia’s best casual jobs is only the start. Casual roles are added daily across the country, so whether you’re looking for better money or more flexibility, the search itself isn’t the hard part.
If you want to find your ideal job, you need to set yourself apart. By enrolling in one of the short and affordable courses offered by Skills Training College, you won’t be just applying with nothing but a resume and hope. You’ll have the experience you need to succeed and be able to show your future employer that you have the drive and initiative to get things done.
FAQs
What Does Casual Loading Mean?
Casual loading is an extra amount added to the base hourly rate to compensate casual workers for not receiving paid leave or other permanent employee benefits. In Australia, the standard amount for casual loading is 25%.
Are There Minimum Shift Lengths for Casual Workers?
The minimum shift length of a casual employee is 3 hours, or 1.5 hours if they are a full-time secondary school student, their work hours are between 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm on a school day, and their workplace does not operate to allow longer hours.
Do Casual Workers Get Paid Extra for Working Weekends?
Yes, casual job workers in Australia earn penalty rates including weekends and public holidays. Retail workers get an additional 50% pay on Saturdays and 75% on Sundays. For casual workers this is even higher, earning 75% extra on Saturdays and 100% more on Sundays.
