Labourer Jobs in Melbourne

As discussed on our Labourer Jobs page, labourers can be grouped into two main categories: skilled and unskilled.

Skilled labourers (otherwise known as tradespeople) bring qualifications in a specific skill set; professionals like electricians, plumbers, concreters, welders, landscapers and carpenters.

Unskilled labourers (or general labourers) bring no qualifications, and are hired to do the unskilled work on a site - things like fetching tools, moving or unloading material, managing traffic, clearing debris and other simple tasks.

Labourers are employed by a variety of organisations in a variety of industries. The most common labourer jobs in Melbourne (and cities in general) include:

• Council worker
• Road worker
• Construction labourer
• Warehouse labourer
• Groundsman/ landscaping labourer

Wherever there are people, there are labourer jobs, but certain areas will always have more work than others. In Melbourne these areas are:

• The CBD: The city centre is obviously the most property-dense part of Melbourne, meaning there are always construction, renovation and restoration projects underway. Labourers are constantly in demand.
• The South East Growth Corridor: Back in 2012 the Victorian government identified an area of potential growth in the southeast of Melbourne. This area has since been a hive of activity, with infrastructure, biodiversity and residential and commercial construction projects creating a wealth of labouring jobs.

$20 per hour is Australia’s minimum wage, so you can be confident of earning at least that, although certain work will pay more. Head to our Labourer Jobs page for more info.

Should you choose labouring in Melbourne over another job? Before you accept a job, consider:

• You need to be quite fit: Working in the heat, on your feet, being asked to lift tools, equipment or material weighing up to 25kg. Labouring is physical, tiring work.
• The paycheque is limited, but regular: Labourers get consistent pay when compared to ‘piece work’ like fruit picking or door to door sales.The upper limit of earning potential might be lower than in these jobs, but at least you’ve got guaranteed pay.
• City work isn’t specified work: No Melbourne job - whether labouring or something else - will count as ‘specified’ for 417 and 462 working holiday visa holders, so it won’t help you to extend your visa into a second or third year.