Part Time Jobs in Australia for International Students

Quick Facts on Part Time Jobs

Conversions based on an AUD to INR rate of INR 69.43 as of October 15, 2026. Rates change often. Check the current rate before financial planning.

How Many Hours Can Indian Students Work?

Indian students on a Subclass 500 visa can work up to 48 hours per fortnight. This limit applies while the course is in session. A fortnight is any 14-day block that starts on a Monday. The limit covers all jobs added together, not per job.

During official semester breaks you can work unlimited hours. The 48-hour cap starts again the moment classes begin. The Department of Home Affairs lists the full Subclass 500 visa rules for Indian students.

• Paid and unpaid work experience counts toward the 48-hour cap unless the course lists it as mandatory.
• You must keep attendance and course progress above the university minimum.
• Family members on a dependent visa get the same 48-hour rule once your course starts.

Key Insight: If you break the 48-hour cap, the Department of Home Affairs can cancel the student visa. One mistake can shut the door on your post-study work rights.

A 2025 government proposal to raise the cap to 60 hours per fortnight is still pending. Treat 48 as the firm number until an official notice confirms the new limit. Source: Fair Work Ombudsman and Department of Home Affairs guidance.

Read More: Higher Education System in Australia for Indian Students

What Part Time Jobs in Australia Pay

The 2026 national minimum wage is AUD 24.95 an hour. It rises to AUD 26.44 from 1 July 2026. Casual workers earn a 25% loading on top. That takes the casual minimum to around AUD 33.05 an hour (INR 2,295).

Most Indian students work as casuals. Casual work gives up paid leave in exchange for the higher hourly rate. The Fair Work Act protects every worker on an Australian visa, including student visa holders.

Tutors with strong English scores can push into the upper band. Keep your IELTS or PTE scorecard handy, because tutoring agencies ask for proof. Learn more about English tests to study in Australia before you apply.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman Pay Calculator (July 2026 figures).

Best Part Time Jobs for Indian Students

Hospitality, retail, tutoring and on-campus roles cover more than 70% of all student part time jobs in Australia. The pick depends on your English comfort, course load and city.

Hospitality jobs

Cafes, bars, restaurants and quick service outlets hire year round. New arrivals pick barista, waiter, kitchen hand or dishwasher roles. The RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate is needed to serve drinks. It costs AUD 25 to AUD 65 online and takes two to four hours.

Retail and supermarket work

Coles, Woolworths, Kmart and Chemist Warehouse post casual roles weekly. Shifts fit around class times. Night fill and stock replenishment pay more because of the late hours.

Tutoring and teaching

Indian students with strong maths, science or coding skills tutor school children at home or online. Rates start at AUD 30 and rise to AUD 50 for senior Year 12 subjects. Students in MBA colleges in Australia often tutor GMAT or business basics for extra income.

On-campus roles

Library assistant, lab aide, student ambassador and research helper roles sit inside the university. Pay is higher and schedules follow your class times. Apply through your student portal. Universities like the University of Queensland in Brisbane post on-campus roles for international students each semester.

• Delivery and rideshare: Uber Eats, DoorDash and Menulog accept student visas with ABN.
• Aged care support: AUD 28 to AUD 35 an hour, Certificate III required.
• Freelance tech: web, design and content work via Upwork and Airtasker.

What students actually say on Reddit: On the "Indians in Australia" subreddit, students say cafe and shop work pays fast cash. Tutoring and on-campus jobs pay better once you settle in.

Where to Find Part Time Jobs

Most student jobs come from SEEK, Indeed and CareerOne. Walk-in applications at local cafes and shops also work well. Online listings move fast. Apply the same day a role is posted.

Keep a one-page CV ready in Australian format. List any customer service, cash handling or tutoring experience from India. Add your course, university and current semester at the top.

• SEEK: largest job board, use filters for casual, hospitality or retail.
• Indeed Australia: wide spread, mix of casual and part time roles.
• Gumtree Jobs: small businesses post cash-friendly roles here.
• LinkedIn: best for tutoring, admin and research helper spots.
• University career portal: on-campus roles only, less competition.
• Walk-ins: cafes, bakeries and corner shops hire from footfall.

Visit a stretch of shops around your university with 10 printed CVs. Hand them to the manager, not the counter staff. Early morning before 11 am works best. The hiring staff is less busy and more open to a chat.

Apply early in your academic timeline. New students often chase jobs in week five and face more rivals. The quieter window sits around the final weeks of the Australian university application timeline, right after your offer letter arrives.

Documents You Need Before Your First Shift

You need a Tax File Number, an Australian bank account and the right visa before any paid shift. Missing any one blocks your wages or pushes your tax to 47%.

A TFN is your unique ID for the Australian Taxation Office. Apply free on the ATO site after arriving in Australia. The ATO mails the number within 28 days.

What you must have

• Valid Subclass 500 visa with no work breach on record.
• Tax File Number (TFN) from the ATO, applied after landing.
• Australian bank account with Commonwealth, Westpac, ANZ or NAB.
• Mobile number and current Australian address for payroll.
• Overseas Student Health Cover record, often asked at onboarding.
• Right to work check through the VEVO system by your employer.

Students at Macquarie University in Sydney and most other universities link your TFN application through the student services office. Ask during the first week.

What a TFN gives you: lower tax, super eligibility and access to Medicare rebates if applicable. What it does not cover: it is not a work permit. You still need a valid student visa.

Key Insight: Open your bank account in the first two weeks of arriving. Many banks waive monthly fees for international students if you sign up on campus or at the airport branch.

City-Wise Part Time Job Pay

Sydney pays the most per hour but costs the most to live in. Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide offer better savings once rent is cut. Pay rates follow casual loading rules in every city.

Students at the University of New South Wales in Sydney report average part time pay close to AUD 28 an hour. That rate holds across hospitality and retail roles. The campus sits near Randwick with heavy footfall for cafes and shops.

Melbourne has a dense tram network. That lowers transport cost. Students at Monash University in Melbourne work shifts across Clayton, Caulfield and the CBD without burning cash on travel.

• Regional cities like Hobart, Darwin and Toowoomba pay a touch less but have lower rent.
• Perth has a mining-linked economy, so warehouse and admin roles pay well.
• Adelaide offers the cheapest living cost among capital cities.

Read More: Student Accommodation Types and Rent in Australia

Earnings vs Living Costs in Australia

At the full 48-hour fortnight limit, a casual student earns around AUD 793 a week (INR 55,000). Monthly living costs for a student run between AUD 1,500 and AUD 3,500. Part time pay covers rent, food and transport in most cities. It does not cover tuition.

Here is the real math for a 2026 academic year. The teaching year has about 32 weeks in semester plus 20 weeks of breaks.

Tuition for an undergraduate course costs INR 13 to INR 30 lakh a year. Part time earnings cover living costs and a part of the fee gap. Students chasing business universities in Australia often rely on scholarships for the balance.

If you plan to study at RMIT University in Melbourne, cost of living runs closer to AUD 2,500 a month. A 20-hour casual week there clears rent and food without stress.

Key Insight: Treat part time income as a buffer, not a tuition plan. Students who assume full tuition recovery often fall into a stress cycle and course drop risk.

Mistakes to Avoid at Part Time Jobs

The three mistakes that cost Indian students the most are breaking the hour cap, cash-in-hand work and skipping tax filing. Each one triggers visa or tax trouble.

• Working over 48 hours a fortnight. Even 10 extra minutes can show up in payroll audits.
• Cash-in-hand without a payslip. No proof means no super and no legal recourse if the employer refuses to pay.
• Skipping annual tax returns. You risk fines even if your income was below the threshold.
• Not sharing a TFN with the employer. The default tax rate jumps to 47% from day one.
• Taking jobs that clash with class hours. Attendance drops, course progress fails and visa risk starts.
• Treating course breaks as free time. Many students waste the unlimited-hour window and lose peak earning weeks.

What a part time job gives you: cash flow, work culture exposure and local references for the 485 visa later. What it does not cover: the full tuition, premium rent in Sydney CBD or an easy workload with your course.

Tax, Super and Leaving Australia

Indian students pay tax on part time income once it crosses AUD 18,200 a year. Below that, they still file a tax return and claim a refund of any tax withheld. Super contributions sit with the fund until you leave Australia.

Income tax basics

The ATO treats most students as residents for tax if they stay six months or more. Residents pay zero tax up to AUD 18,200. Earnings above that face slabs starting at 16%.

Superannuation

Your employer must pay 12% of your gross wage into a super fund. The money is yours. You can claim it as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) after you leave and the student visa ends.

DASP is taxed at 35% for most student visa holders. Claim it within six months of visa expiry, or the fund moves the balance to the ATO as unclaimed money.

• Save payslips for every pay cycle, you need them at tax time.
• Use myGov linked with ATO to lodge your return online.
• Keep receipts for course-related work expenses, they count as deductions.

Source: Australian Taxation Office (ATO) DASP guidance, 2026.

Conversions based on an AUD to INR rate of INR 69.43 as of October 15, 2026. Rates change often. Check the current rate before financial planning.

Also Check:

Part time jobs in Australia for Indian students work best when hour cap, TFN and job type line up from day one. Hospitality and on-campus roles are the fastest route to a steady income. Keep your course the priority, as poor attendance or grades can cancel your student visa. Pay helps cover living costs. Tuition still needs scholarships, loans or savings. Treat the 485 visa phase as the real earning window.