Mining & FIFO

A realistic first route into FIFO

Start by choosing the kind of work you can already show evidence for. Camp cleaning, kitchen hand, stores and trade-assistant roles draw on familiar experience; operator and drilling roles often ask for prior site exposure, role-specific competency or a training pathway. The same job title can have different entry rules at different sites.

Search employer and contractor career pages for the role title plus the site region. Read the ad for the legal employer, required experience, roster and travel point. If you are new to mining, apply to the entry-level support roles you can actually do and describe transferable work clearly; do not buy a generic “mining ticket” on the promise it will get you hired.

• Pick one or two target roles and note the exact requirements repeated across real ads.
• Ask the recruiter which requirements are essential before applying and which are provided after an offer.
• Keep a short list of acceptable departure cities, roster length and earliest start date.

Medical, site access and safe travel

A pre-employment medical, drug and alcohol screening, police check or site induction may be required, but the combination is set by the employer and site. Ask who books and pays for each step, what the assessment involves and how long the result can be used. Never send identity or medical documents through an unverified recruiter link.

FIFO usually means you travel to the employer’s nominated departure point, then the site. Confirm whether travel from your home city is covered, whether you must pay to position yourself there, and what happens if a flight or shift is cancelled. A remote roster can leave little access to shops, medical care or private transport while on site.

Questions to ask before you travel

Get the offer and roster in writing. Confirm the legal employer, site, role duties, employment type, ordinary hours, overtime rules, pay cycle, accommodation and meals, travel costs, PPE, deductions and cancellation terms. Ask whether site induction and medical time are paid, and who supplies required safety equipment.

Check whether the named award or enterprise agreement fits the actual employer and duties. Camp catering and cleaning may be supplied by a contractor whose award coverage differs from mine production roles. “FIFO salary” by itself tells you little about hours, penalties or time between swings.

Darwin salary example: read the scope

Sodexo’s Darwin 14:7 EOI advertises AUD 78,000–89,000 a year plus super across several roles, including service attendants. It mentions casual and permanent opportunities without assigning the range to each. This is not a verified utility-only ordinary hourly rate, and no casual loading or overtime breakdown is published. Checked 22 October 2026.