What Is a FIFO Roster and How Does It Work?

What Does FIFO Mean?

FIFO stands for fly-in fly-out.

It's a working arrangement commonly used in mining and resources where employees work at remote sites for a set period before flying home for their scheduled time off.

Instead of permanently relocating to a mining town, you effectively commute by plane.

Just with a slightly longer commute than catching the train into the CBD.

A FIFO worker might live in Perth, fly to a mine in regional Western Australia, work eight days and then fly home for six days.

That repeating pattern is your FIFO roster.

What Is a FIFO Roster?

A FIFO roster determines how many consecutive days you work and how many consecutive days you have off.

You'll commonly see rosters written like this:

• 8/6
• 7/7
• 2/1
• 2/2
• 14/7

The first number represents your period at work.

The second represents your period off.

So an 8/6 roster means:

8 days working

followed by:

6 days off

Then you repeat the cycle.

Why Does Mining Use FIFO Rosters?

Many Australian mining operations are located hundreds or even thousands of kilometres from major cities.

Building a mine doesn't necessarily mean building an entire town around it.

FIFO allows companies to bring workers in from population centres while providing accommodation near the operation.

This gives mining companies access to a much larger workforce.

For workers, it means you can potentially earn mining wages without permanently moving to a remote town.

How Long Is a FIFO Shift?

Twelve-hour shifts are extremely common.

A typical workday might involve:

• Waking up
• Breakfast
• Pre-start meeting
• Travelling to your work area
• Working your shift
• Returning to camp
• Dinner
• Shower
• Sleep

Then you do it again tomorrow.

And the day after that.

And possibly another 12 days after that depending on your roster.

Your time on site is primarily about work.

What Is an 8/6 FIFO Roster?

An 8/6 roster means:

8 days on

6 days off

This is one of the more attractive FIFO rosters because it's relatively close to even time.

Over a 14-day cycle, you work eight days and have six days off.

If you're doing 12-hour shifts, that's approximately:

96 rostered working hours every two weeks.

That's still significantly more than a conventional 38-hour working week.

But you also receive six consecutive days off.

Why Is 8/6 Popular?

The major advantage is lifestyle.

Six days off gives you enough time to:

• Travel
• Spend time with family
• Work on personal projects
• Recover
• Actually do something with your break

Compare that with a normal Monday-to-Friday worker.

They get two-day weekends.

You get nearly a week.

Of course, they also aren't spending eight consecutive days working 12-hour shifts in the Pilbara.

Everything is a trade-off.

What Is a 7/7 FIFO Roster?

A 7/7 roster means:

7 days working

7 days off

This is a true even-time roster.

You spend half the roster cycle at work and half away from work.

If you're working 12-hour shifts, that's:

84 hours during your seven-day swing.

Then you have an entire week off.

Is 7/7 a Good Roster?

For many workers, yes.

It's particularly attractive because you get substantial blocks of time away from work.

You can potentially have:

• Seven days to travel
• Seven days with family
• Seven days for hobbies
• Seven days to recover

Every second week effectively belongs to you.

The downside is that your seven working days are intense.

You're compressing a lot of hours into one week.

Day Shift and Night Shift on 7/7

Some mining operations run continuously.

That means workers may rotate between day and night shifts.

For example, you might work:

7 days

then have:

7 days off

then return for:

7 nights

then have another:

7 days off

Night shift can be one of the more difficult parts of FIFO.

Your body isn't particularly interested in the fact that the mine needs to operate 24 hours a day.

What Is a 2/1 FIFO Roster?

A 2/1 roster means:

2 weeks working

1 week off

Usually, that's approximately:

14 days on

7 days off

This is a much more work-heavy roster.

You're spending roughly two-thirds of the roster cycle at work.

How Many Hours Do You Work on a 2/1 Roster?

If you're working 12-hour shifts for 14 days:

14 × 12 = 168 hours

during each work swing.

Then you have seven days off.

Across a three-week cycle, that's an average of:

56 working hours per week.

That's substantially more than a standard 38-hour job.

This is important when comparing FIFO salaries.

A worker earning $150,000 on a 2/1 roster is putting in significantly more hours than someone earning $120,000 working a standard week.

Why Would Anyone Choose 2/1?

Money.

A more work-heavy roster can produce higher annual earnings.

A 2/1 roster can therefore suit someone who wants to:

• Save aggressively
• Pay off debt
• Build a house deposit
• Work hard for a few years
• Maximise income

It may be particularly attractive when you're young and don't have many commitments at home.

The trade-off is obvious.

You're away a lot.

Is 2/1 Hard on Relationships?

It can be.

You're potentially away for two weeks at a time.

That means missing:

• Birthdays
• Social events
• Weekends
• Family activities
• Ordinary day-to-day life

Then you return home for a week and try to fit everything into your break.

Some couples and families make FIFO work extremely well.

Others hate it.

The roster that looks best on a salary spreadsheet isn't necessarily the roster that works best for your actual life.

What Is a 2/2 FIFO Roster?

A 2/2 roster means:

2 weeks on

2 weeks off

This is another even-time arrangement.

You work an intense two-week swing and then receive two full weeks away from work.

For some people, this is close to the dream FIFO roster.

How Many Hours Do You Work on 2/2?

Assuming 12-hour shifts:

14 × 12 = 168 hours

during your work swing.

But that's followed by 14 days off.

Across the four-week cycle, that averages approximately:

42 hours per week.

That's surprisingly close to a conventional full-time workload when averaged across the entire roster.

The difference is how those hours are distributed.

Instead of working five days every week, you're working extremely hard for two weeks and then disappearing from work completely for two weeks.

Why Is 2/2 So Attractive?

Two weeks off is serious time.

You could:

• Travel
• Spend time with family
• Work on a business
• Study
• Pursue hobbies
• Go camping
• Do absolutely nothing

Try asking your ordinary Monday-to-Friday employer for a two-week holiday every month.

See how that conversation goes.

Does 2/2 Pay Less Than 2/1?

It can.

You're working fewer days across the year.

So a 2/1 role may offer higher annual earnings than a comparable 2/2 role.

That's why you shouldn't compare FIFO jobs purely by salary.

A $140,000 even-time job could potentially be much more attractive than a $160,000 role requiring substantially more days on site.

What Is a 14/7 Roster?

A 14/7 roster is effectively another way of describing 2/1.

You work:

14 days

then have:

7 days off

Some employers advertise rosters using days.

Others use weeks.

Always check exactly what the employer means rather than assuming.

What Is a 14/14 Roster?

A 14/14 roster means:

14 days working

14 days off

It's essentially a 2/2 roster written differently.

Again, this is an even-time arrangement.

What Is a 9/5 Roster?

A 9/5 roster means:

9 days on

5 days off

This sits somewhere between an 8/6 and more work-heavy arrangements.

Over a 14-day cycle, you're working nine days and getting five days away.

The exact roster options depend heavily on the site and occupation.

What Is a 5/2 4/3 Roster?

You may also see more complicated rosters such as:

5/2, 4/3

This generally means working five days, having two off, then working four days and having three off as part of a repeating cycle.

These arrangements can be used for roles that need more conventional weekday coverage.

Not every mining worker spends two weeks living in a camp.

There are many different roster structures.

What Does "Even Time" Mean?

Even time means you have roughly the same number of days working as you have off.

Examples include:

• 7/7
• 2/2
• 14/14

Even-time rosters are highly attractive because of the lifestyle they can provide.

You're essentially working around half the days of the year.

But remember:

Those workdays can be 12 hours long.

You're not somehow working half as much as everyone else while collecting mining money.

You're compressing your hours.

How Many Days a Year Do FIFO Workers Work?

It depends entirely on the roster.

Approximately:

7/7 roster: around 182 working days per year.

2/2 roster: around 182 working days per year.

8/6 roster: around 209 working days per year.

2/1 roster: around 243 working days per year.

These are rough estimates because actual travel arrangements, leave and roster calendars vary.

But the difference is significant.

A 2/1 worker can spend roughly 60 more days per year at work than someone on an even-time roster.

That's worth remembering when comparing salaries.

How Many Hours a Year Does a FIFO Worker Work?

Using 12-hour shifts as a rough example:

7/7:

182 × 12 = approximately 2,184 hours

8/6:

209 × 12 = approximately 2,508 hours

2/1:

243 × 12 = approximately 2,916 hours

For comparison, a standard 38-hour working week across 52 weeks is:

1,976 hours

before accounting for annual leave and public holidays.

That gives you a much better idea of why some FIFO salaries are so high.

FIFO workers can be putting in a lot of hours.

What Is a FIFO Swing?

Your "swing" is your period on site.

If you're on an 8/6 roster, your eight working days are your swing.

You might hear someone say:

"I'm flying out for my swing tomorrow."

That simply means they're heading back to work.

What Is Fly-In Day?

Fly-in day is when you travel to site.

Depending on your roster and employer, you may:

• Fly early in the morning
• Arrive at site
• Complete inductions or handover
• Begin work

Other arrangements may give you more time between arrival and starting your shift.

Travel arrangements vary significantly between employers and sites.

What Is Fly-Out Day?

Fly-out day is the day you leave site and return home.

Depending on your schedule, you may still work part or all of a shift before flying home.

This matters.

If someone says they have six days off, but a significant part of the first day is spent travelling home and the last involves getting back to the airport, the usable break can feel shorter.

Are Travel Days Paid?

This depends on the employment arrangement, award, enterprise agreement and employer.

Don't automatically assume every hour between leaving home and reaching site is paid.

If you're comparing FIFO offers, ask:

• Where is the point of hire?
• Who pays for flights?
• Is travel time paid?
• Do I work on fly-in day?
• Do I work on fly-out day?

These details can significantly affect how good a roster actually feels.

What Is a Point of Hire?

The point of hire is essentially the location from which the employer's FIFO travel arrangement begins.

For example, a job might be advertised as:

FIFO ex Perth

That usually means the employer arranges travel between Perth and the mine.

It doesn't necessarily mean they'll fly you from anywhere in Australia to Perth.

If you live in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, you may need to get yourself to Perth.

Always check.

Can You Work FIFO From Any Australian City?

Sometimes.

But many FIFO jobs have specific departure points.

Western Australian mining jobs commonly operate from Perth.

Queensland operations may use Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay or other regional hubs depending on the site.

Some employers may accept interstate workers.

Others won't.

Where you live can therefore affect which FIFO jobs are realistic.

What Happens When You Arrive at Camp?

Accommodation arrangements vary, but you'll generally be assigned a room in a mining village or camp.

Facilities may include:

• Dining hall
• Gym
• Laundry
• Recreation areas
• Outdoor areas
• Bar or wet mess at some sites

Your room will generally be basic rather than luxurious.

You're there to work, sleep and recover.

It's a mining camp.

Not the Four Seasons.

Do You Get Your Own Room?

Often, yes.

Many FIFO camps provide individual rooms.

Facilities can vary from site to site.

Some rooms may have private bathrooms.

Others may use different arrangements.

Some workers may have the same room every swing, while others use what's sometimes called "motelling", where rooms are allocated depending on availability.

What Do You Do After a 12-Hour Shift?

Not much.

A realistic evening can look like:

Finish work.

Return to camp.

Shower.

Eat.

Maybe go to the gym.

Call home.

Sleep.

Repeat.

People sometimes imagine FIFO as spending two weeks socialising with mates at camp.

You may socialise.

But after working 12 hours for the eighth consecutive day, your bed can become significantly more appealing.

Do FIFO Workers Get Weekends?

Not in the normal sense.

Mining operations don't stop because it's Saturday.

If Saturday falls within your swing, you're working.

If Christmas Day falls within your swing, you may also be working.

Your "weekend" is your rostered break.

That could happen on any day of the week.

Do FIFO Workers Get Public Holidays?

Mining operations can continue through public holidays.

Whether you work depends on your roster and operation.

Pay arrangements for public holidays depend on your employment conditions.

One advantage of rostered work is that Tuesday can become your Saturday.

The disadvantage is that actual Saturday might just be Day 6 of 14.

What Is Night Shift Like?

Night shift can be one of the hardest adjustments.

You may start in the evening and finish the following morning.

Then you need to sleep during the day.

Mining camps are designed around shift workers, but your body still needs to adapt.

Fatigue management is extremely important.

Some workers handle nights well.

Others would happily accept less money to never see another 6pm-to-6am shift.

Do You Get Annual Leave on Top of Your Rostered Breaks?

Permanent employees generally receive annual leave entitlements in addition to normal rostered time off, subject to their employment conditions.

This is an important distinction.

Your six days off on an 8/6 roster aren't necessarily your annual leave.

They're simply the days you're not rostered to work.

Using annual leave strategically can potentially create extremely long periods away from work.

FIFO Rosters Can Be Great for Travel

This is one of the biggest lifestyle advantages.

Imagine being on 2/2.

You finish your swing.

You now have two weeks before you need to return.

That's enough time for an actual trip.

You don't need to cram everything into a Saturday and Sunday.

For workers who love travelling, camping, fishing or outdoor activities, this can be extremely attractive.

FIFO Rosters Can Be Great for Side Projects

Long blocks of time off can also make FIFO attractive for people building something outside work.

You might use your breaks for:

• Studying
• Renovating
• Running a small business
• Freelancing
• Working on investments
• Personal projects

The catch is energy.

After a long swing, spending the first couple of days doing absolutely nothing can suddenly seem like an excellent business strategy.

Which FIFO Roster Pays the Most?

Generally, work-heavy rosters have the potential to produce higher annual earnings because you're working more days.

A 2/1 roster can therefore pay more than an equivalent 2/2 position.

But higher annual salary doesn't automatically mean better value.

Calculate the approximate hourly return.

You may discover you're essentially selling an extra 60 days of your year for the salary difference.

Then decide whether that's worth it.

What Is the Best FIFO Roster for Money?

If maximising annual income is the priority, a work-heavy roster such as 2/1 can be attractive.

You'll spend significantly more time on site.

That can mean:

• More hours
• More shifts
• Higher annual earnings
• Less time available to spend money

For someone trying to save aggressively for a few years, this can work extremely well.

What Is the Best FIFO Roster for Lifestyle?

Even-time rosters are difficult to beat.

Particularly:

7/7

or

2/2

Having half your rostered time away from work is a huge lifestyle benefit.

An 8/6 roster is also attractive because it's close to even time while providing six consecutive days off.

Is 8/6 Better Than 2/1?

For lifestyle?

Probably, for most people.

For maximum annual income?

Potentially not.

An 8/6 worker spends considerably fewer days at work each year.

That can mean lower total earnings but much more time at home.

Neither is objectively better.

They suit different priorities.

Is 2/2 the Best FIFO Roster?

For some people, absolutely.

Two weeks of work followed by two weeks completely off is difficult to replicate in most careers.

But a 2/2 roster also means being away for two consecutive weeks.

Someone with young children might prefer shorter swings such as 8/6.

Someone who loves travelling might prefer the longer two-week breaks.

What Roster Is Best for Your First FIFO Job?

Your first priority may simply be getting into the industry.

If you have no mining experience and receive a decent offer on a 2/1 roster, taking it could give you the experience needed to eventually move into a better roster.

You don't necessarily need to stay on the same roster forever.

Once you've built experience, you may have more negotiating power and more employers willing to hire you.

How to Compare Two FIFO Job Offers

Don't compare salary alone.

Compare:

• Annual salary
• Roster
• Shift length
• Day vs night shift
• Point of hire
• Travel arrangements
• Travel time
• Accommodation
• Role
• Career progression

Then calculate approximately how many days and hours you'll actually work each year.

A lower salary with a significantly better roster can easily be the better job.

Example: $150k on 2/1 vs $130k on 2/2

Imagine two jobs.

Job A

$150,000

2/1 roster

Approximately 243 workdays per year

12-hour shifts

That's roughly:

2,916 hours per year

Very roughly, that's about:

$51 per rostered working hour

Now consider:

Job B

$130,000

2/2 roster

Approximately 182 workdays per year

12-hour shifts

That's roughly:

2,184 hours per year

Very roughly:

$60 per rostered working hour

Job A pays $20,000 more annually.

But Job B gives you around 60 additional days away from work and a higher rough salary-per-rostered-hour figure.

Suddenly $150,000 isn't automatically the obvious choice.

Is FIFO Worth It?

A good FIFO roster can provide an unusual combination of:

• Strong income
• Long blocks of time off
• Career opportunities
• Reduced expenses while on site

But you're accepting:

• Long shifts
• Remote work
• Time away from home
• Potential night shifts
• Missing events
• Fatigue

The roster determines how heavily those disadvantages affect you.

That's why you should pay almost as much attention to the numbers after the slash as you do to the salary.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an 8/6 FIFO roster mean?

You work eight consecutive days followed by six days off before repeating the cycle.

What does a 2/1 FIFO roster mean?

You generally work two weeks followed by one week off. It's a relatively work-heavy roster that can provide higher annual earnings.

What does a 2/2 FIFO roster mean?

You work two weeks and then have two weeks off. It's an even-time roster where you spend roughly half the roster cycle at work.

What does a 7/7 roster mean?

You work seven days followed by seven days off. This is another even-time roster.

How long are FIFO shifts?

Twelve-hour shifts are common across mining operations, although exact working hours vary by role and employer.

Which FIFO roster is best?

It depends on your priorities. Work-heavy rosters such as 2/1 can suit people focused on maximising earnings, while 7/7, 2/2 and 8/6 can provide better lifestyle balance.

Do FIFO workers get weekends off?

Not necessarily. FIFO workers follow their roster regardless of whether their scheduled workdays fall on weekdays or weekends.

Do FIFO workers get annual leave?

Permanent FIFO employees generally have annual leave entitlements in addition to their normal rostered breaks, subject to their employment arrangements.

Are FIFO travel days included in your roster?

This varies by employer and site. Check whether travel occurs on workdays or rostered days off and whether travel time is paid before accepting a position.