10 Best Part-Time Jobs in Australia for International Students

What Are the 10 Best Part-Time Jobs in Australia for International Students?

The 10 best part-time jobs for students are in food service, retail, cleaning, warehouses, delivery, tutoring, campus roles, office support, care work and freelance work.

We call a job “best” when it fits around classes, is open to students, and pays through a legal payslip. These are Australian part-time jobs for students that Nepali students can realistically look for in their first year. If you are still planning your move, start with our guide to study in Australia from Nepal.

The table shows the lowest legal rate for an adult casual worker in normal daytime hours. Casual means you are paid only for the shifts you work. Evening and weekend shifts often pay more, and your employer can always pay above these rates.

These are the rates in the Fair Work pay guides, which change every year. The aged care rate applies from 1 September 2026, and the others from 1 July 2026. Disability support has its own pay guide, so check that one for support work.

What Is Each Part-Time Job Like?

Most first jobs are in food service, shops and cleaning, while care, campus and office roles ask for more training or stronger English.

1. Cafes, restaurants and kitchens

You might work as a kitchen hand, food runner, waiter or barista. A kitchen hand job is often the easiest way in, because it needs less English. If you are also studying this field, see our hospitality and tourism courses in Australia.

2. Fast food, supermarkets and shops

You help customers, fill shelves and work at the checkout. Big stores usually give fixed rosters, which makes it easier to plan around class. Expect a short interview, since you speak with customers all day.

3. Cleaning and housekeeping

You clean offices, hotels or shopping centres, often before or after opening hours. It asks for less English and little experience. The work is physical, and the shift times can be hard when you have an early class.

4. Warehouse and packing

You pack, sort, scan and move stock. Many of these jobs come through job agencies. Shifts can grow during busy shopping seasons, so keep your total hours in check.

5. Food delivery through an app

Apps let you choose when to work, but you are usually a contractor and not an employee.

Since 17 August 2026, app workers have a minimum rate. It is AUD 31.30 an hour on foot or on a bicycle, e-bike or e-scooter. It is AUD 31.50 on a motorcycle or petrol scooter, and AUD 32 in a car or van.

That rate covers only your time on a delivery, not your waiting time. You may also pay for your own bike or fuel.

6. Tutoring

You can tutor school students in maths, science or computing, or teach Nepali to children in the community. Private tutors agree their own rate with the family, so no official figure exists. If you teach children, ask whether your state needs a Working with Children Check first.

7. Campus jobs

Universities hire students for libraries, events, student guide roles and IT help. These jobs fit your timetable well, but many students apply. Your university’s own pay agreement may set a rate above the award.

8. Office and reception work

You answer phones, enter data and book appointments. These jobs usually ask for confident English and basic computer skills. Office work is often easier to get once you have had a first job in Australia.

9. Aged care and disability support

You help older people or people with disability with daily tasks. Pay is higher, but employers often ask for a short course, and aged care workers need a police certificate or NDIS check. Many disability support roles need an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Our aged care course in Australia guide explains the study route.

10. Online and freelance work

You might design, write, edit video or build websites for clients. Pay depends on your skill and your clients, and no minimum rate applies. You usually need an ABN (Australian Business Number) for real freelance work, but you cannot get one for work done as an employee.

Which Part-Time Job Should You Try First?

Start with the job that matches your English and your timetable, then move to a job closer to your course later.

• New to Australia with little experience: try kitchen hand, cleaning or warehouse work.
• Comfortable speaking English: try supermarkets, shops, fast food or waiting tables.
• Studying nursing or health: try aged care, which suits our nursing and midwifery courses in Australia well.
• Studying IT or business: try campus IT help, tutoring or office work.
• Under 21: ask what the rate is for your age before you accept, since it can be lower.

Your city matters too, since big cities have more shops and cafes close to campus. Our guide to the best cities in Australia for Nepali students can help you choose.

Do Students Under 21 Get Paid Less in These Jobs?

Yes, in shops, fast food and restaurants the lowest legal rate is lower if you are under 21, and many +2 students are that age.

This surprises many families who hear only the adult figure. These are the lowest casual rates in normal daytime hours in the same pay guides:

Restaurant staff who serve alcohol get the adult rate at any age. Junior rates can apply in other awards too, so always look up your age in your own pay guide.

To see what a full fortnight can earn, read our guide to working hours for students in Australia. It also explains the 48-hour limit, wages and tax. As a rough guide, 48 hours at AUD 33.85 comes to about AUD 1,625 before tax, or about Rs 1.5 lakh. Use our AUD to Rs forex converter for today’s rate.

Can You Do These Jobs on a Student Visa?

Yes, you can do any legal job on a Student visa, as long as all your jobs together stay within your work limit.

The Home Affairs visa conditions page sets 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session. You also cannot start work before your course begins. Keep a record of your delivery, tutoring and freelance hours as well, and count them with your other work. That is the safe way to avoid a breach.

Many of these jobs use weekly rosters, so look at your next two weeks before you say yes to an extra shift. The limit does not apply in scheduled course breaks, which is when many students pick up more work.

Where Can You Find Part-Time Work in Australia?

Start with your university’s careers service, then use job websites, job agencies and people you know.

This order follows the Study Australia guide to finding work while you study. For part time work for international students in Australia, these are the main places to look:

• On campus: the careers service, job noticeboards and university job pages.
• 5 job websites: Seek, Adzuna, Career One, Student Job Australia and LinkedIn.
• Job agencies: these help with warehouse, cleaning and office shifts. You can join more than one.
• People you know: classmates, seniors and the Nepali community in your city.
• Walking in: visit shops and cafes near your home in their quiet hours, with a printed resume.

Living close to shops and transport makes this easier, so read our student accommodation in Australia guide before you choose a room. Our life in Australia for Nepali students guide covers settling in.

What Do You Need Before You Apply for a Job?

You need a Tax File Number, an Australian bank account, a short resume and a clear list of the hours you can work.

Apply for your Tax File Number (TFN) online from the Australian Taxation Office once you have arrived. It is free, and you give it to your employer when you start. Your resume should be 1 or 2 pages, and our CV format guide can help you with the layout. Keep your passport and visa details ready, since an employer may check your work rights.

Some jobs need one more paper. In New South Wales, you need Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training to sell or serve alcohol, and other states have their own rules. Do not pay for a short course until you know a job really asks for it.

Which Job Offers Should You Avoid?

Avoid cash in hand work, long unpaid trials and any “contractor” offer for what is really a normal job.

• Cash in hand: Fair Work says cash pay with no tax taken out is against the law. It also leaves you with no proof of your hours.
• Long unpaid trials: a trial can be unpaid only for as long as it takes to show your skills, which could be an hour or up to one shift.
• Fake contractor jobs: if the boss sets your shifts and tells you how to work, ask Fair Work whether you are really an employee.
• Pay below the award: check your rate in the pay guide. You should get a payslip within one working day of being paid.

The Fair Work fact sheet for international students says you have the same workplace rights as other workers. Your visa will not be cancelled for asking for help. Its infoline is 13 13 94.

Can a Part-Time Job Pay for Your Study in Australia?

A part-time job can help with rent and food, but you should not count on it for tuition or for your visa money.

You must show your funds before you get the visa, so future job income does not help there. Our page on Australia student visa requirements explains what you need to show. Compare your likely pay with the cost of living in Australia before you decide on a city.

Your first job may also take time to find. Our guide on how much money Nepali students should carry to Australia helps you plan those first weeks. Work during study can also help your job search later, on the 485 visa after you graduate.

How Can Goreto Help You Plan Work and Study?

A counselor can help you choose a course, city and budget that still work if your first job takes time.

Our counselors help Nepali students plan their money honestly, so part-time pay stays a help and not the whole plan. They can also go through your rent, food and travel costs with you and your parents, so your family knows what to expect in the first months. You can meet us at our 5 branches in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara. To start, book a counselling session.