Is FIFO Worth It? Money, Rosters, Health and Who It Suits

Money

Pay is the usual reason people look at FIFO, but a headline rate is not the same as what you keep or what the job costs you. Pay depends on the role, the employer, the award or agreement and the roster, so we do not quote figures here. Start with the salary calculator and the salaries pages for the role you have in mind, then compare the result with your contract.

Then count the costs on your side: getting to the airport or pick-up point, running a home while you are away, and anything the employer does not cover. Ask the employer in writing what they pay for.

Rosters

The roster decides how much of your life is spent on site. The WA inquiry recommended a code of practice that encourages even-time rosters, giving two weeks on and one week off, or eight days on and six days off, as examples. It said rosters that are more compressed than that can lead to fatigue and put workers’ mental health at risk. That is one inquiry’s view of one state’s industry, not a rule for every site, but it is a useful prompt to ask how fatigue is managed on the roster you are offered.

Use the roster calculator to see how the days on and off add up across a year, and read what FIFO work involves if the terms are new.

Time away and relationships

The WA inquiry found that working a FIFO roster can increase strain in personal relationships, particularly within families. Its chairman described FIFO as regularly taking a worker away from home, isolating them from family and social supports, and putting them under fatigue and a camp-controlled routine. The committee also treated reliable contact with home as important.

None of that means FIFO fails every household. It means the plan matters. Talk it through with your partner or family before you accept, agree how you will stay in touch, and ask the employer about phone and internet access at the camp.

Health and mental health

The WA inquiry reported that three recent studies suggested about 30 per cent of FIFO workers had mental health problems, against about 20 per cent for the national average, and said further research was needed. It was a Western Australian inquiry published in June 2015, so treat it as one important source rather than a verdict. It also noted concern about harmful drinking among some workers, and described camp life as including isolation, fatigue and limited control over your day.

Support exists for mining workers:

• MATES in Mining says its helpline is free, confidential and open 24/7 for mining workers and their families, on 1300 642 111, and is answered by qualified counsellors and psychologists.
• Lifeline lists 13 11 14 for a call, 0477 13 11 14 for text, and online chat.
• WorkSafe WA describes MATES in Mining as a peer support and suicide prevention program, and lists Lifeline WA’s Resourceful Mind peer support program, which was developed with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA.

If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call 000.

Tax and costs

Tax on FIFO work depends on how you are paid and where you live, so confirm it with the ATO or a registered tax agent. Two points from the ATO pages we read:

• On overnight travel expenses, the ATO says you cannot claim travel expenses if you do not stay away from home overnight. It says you are not travelling away from home overnight for work if you live a long way from where you work, are living at the location where you work, or choose to sleep at or near your workplace. It also says to keep records.
• On living-away-from-home allowances, the ATO’s employer guidance says a living-away-from-home allowance compensates for non-deductible additional expenses of living away from your normal residence, that a travel allowance is treated differently, and that FIFO and drive-in drive-out arrangements have concessional treatment subject to records and a declaration or alternative record keeping.

Ask your employer which of these applies to your pay and what it means for your payslip. We do not give tax amounts.

Who it suits

There is no personality test for FIFO. The WA inquiry did not accept the argument that some people are simply suited to FIFO and others are not, so it is more useful to look at your circumstances and supports. FIFO tends to be easier to sustain when:

• the people at home understand the roster and agree to it
• you have a way to stay in touch, rest well and keep active on site
• the roster, camp and employer match what you were told before you signed
• you have people to talk to on site and at home if things get hard

If you are not sure, a drive-in drive-out or local role can be worth comparing. Browse FIFO jobs and the mining towns to see the options.

Questions to ask before you sign

• What is the exact roster, swing length and start date, and can it change?
• Who pays for flights and transfers, and what happens if a flight is cancelled?
• What camp will I stay in, and is the room permanent or shared? See our FIFO camps guide.
• What are the alcohol, testing and leaving-camp rules?
• What phone and internet access is there at camp?
• What mental health and employee assistance support does the employer offer?
• How is fatigue managed on this roster?
• What are the notice and probation terms if it is not working for me?

New to the camp side of it? Read what to pack in our FIFO packing list.

Decision checklist

Print this page with your browser’s print command to take a copy. Tick each item you can honestly say yes to. Anything left empty is a question to answer before you sign.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Last updated 10 October 2026. Facts on this page come from the sources below.

• Parliament of Western Australia: The impact of FIFO work practices on mental health, Final Report, Education and Health Standing Committee, Report No. 5, June 2015 (read 10 October 2026)
• WorkSafe WA: Supporting the workforce (read 10 October 2026)
• MATES in Mining: 24/7 Helpline Support (read 10 October 2026)
• Lifeline: Home (read 10 October 2026)
• ATO: Living-away-from-home allowance fringe benefits (read 10 October 2026)
• ATO: Overnight travel expenses (read 10 October 2026)

We read each page above on 10 October 2026. The mental health findings come from a 2015 Western Australian inquiry, so they describe that state and that time and are not a forecast for you. We do not quote pay figures or tax amounts, because they vary by role, employer and individual. This page is general information, not financial, tax or medical advice.