Operators Down Under

[coconutberry_57]

I work as an operator in Louisiana, mostly in rock and gravel. I'm thinking about moving to Australia for something new and maybe better pay. I saw online that operators there can make around AUD $90K to $120K, depending on how much experience you have.

What I really want to know is how the work schedule goes. Here, I work 5 days on and 2 days off, with some extra hours. Heard that in Australia, some mines have longer shifts or fly-in fly-out jobs. Curious what a normal week looks like.

Thanks for any info! Just trying to see if this move would be good for me and my family.

 

[Davetech]

A lot of the bigger sites in Australia run FIFO with 12 hour shifts, usually 2 weeks on and 1 week off, sometimes 7/7. Make no mistakes, the pay is good but the roster can be tough if you've got family, and you may probably have to choose between more money or more home time

 

[F.raq]

In Australia, shifts can be long like about 10 to 12 hours a day, sometimes more but you often get rostered time off afterward. Pay is usually higher than local US rates, but it’s a trade off with being away from home for stretches