National branches
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Removals and related careers. Use the careers route to inspect openings and distinguish offsider work from licensed driving.
AUSTRALIA · JOB GUIDE
Removalist / offsider jobs in Australia
An offsider helps pack, protect, carry and load household or office items. You may work inside people’s homes, deal with stairs and travel between jobs. Care with belongings and clear communication are as important as moving quickly.
Illustrative photo
This could suit you if…
You enjoy active teamwork and are comfortable working at different homes or sites.
The trade-offs
Heavy and awkward items, stairs and travel between jobs make it strenuous. Care with customers’ belongings matters as much as speed.
What does the work involve?
Offsiders protect furniture, pack boxes, carry items with the crew and help load and unload the truck. Jobs can involve stairs, narrow access and several addresses.
You work inside customers’ homes or offices, so careful communication, protecting surfaces and reporting damage matter alongside physical effort.
Is this a practical short-term job?
Search for “removalist offsider” or “removals assistant” if you want carrying and packing work without driving the truck. Local moves let you stay in one base; interstate crews can be away overnight. A depot address matters more than the customers’ addresses when planning your morning commute.
What is the difficult part?
Repeated carrying, stairs and awkward furniture make this different from a gym workout. The team must coordinate lifts and protect doorways, floors and possessions. Use lifting aids and team methods; being new is not a reason to attempt a heavy item alone.
What do I need before applying?
An offsider helps with loading and moving furniture; a driver also needs the licence class for the vehicle. You can therefore consider offsider roles separately from truck-driving vacancies.
The work involves team lifting, packing and using handling equipment. Physical stamina helps, but learning the team’s methods and using the correct equipment matter more than attempting heavy lifts alone.
Which training is worth doing?
Site handling and equipment induction
Workplace induction covers lifting aids, safe handling, equipment and the work sequence on that site. A general manual-handling course does not teach you how to operate each workplace’s equipment.
Companies and application routes
Find employers and recruitment contacts below.
Australian branch network
Kent Removals & Storage
Direct careers route for the removals business. Ask the branch about crew openings and the required commitment.
How do I put together a good application?
Search removalist offsider, furniture removalist or removals assistant. Be clear if you want the carrying and packing role without driving duties.
Highlight reliability, respectful customer service and examples of working with another person to move or organise items. Ask about paid training and branch location.
How much does it pay?
The Road Transport and Distribution Award puts a furniture remover’s assistant in Transport Worker Grade 1. For an adult casual non-shiftworker, the rates are:
| Role / shift | Hourly pay |
|---|---|
| Grade 1 ordinary hours | $33.59 |
| Grade 1 Saturday | $47.02 |
| Grade 1 Sunday | $60.46 |
Adult award rates effective from 1 July 2026, before tax and excluding super. Casual loading is included. These apply to covered employees, not self-employed removal businesses. Drivers have separate vehicle-based classifications.
A recognised furniture carter allowance may also apply. This is the offsider’s classification, not the pay scale for driving a heavy removal truck.
Sources and further reading
Kent Removals & Storage recruitment
Site handling and equipment induction
Fair Work: find the applicable award
Sources checked 17 October 2026.