FIFO guide
What is FIFO work?
By FIFO Planner · Published · Last updated
FIFO stands for fly-in fly-out. It describes a work arrangement where employees are flown to a remote site for a fixed period (called a swing), then flown home for a rest and recreation period (R&R) before the cycle repeats. FIFO is the dominant employment model in Australia's mining, oil and gas, and remote construction industries.
How does FIFO work?
A FIFO arrangement has three defining features:
- 1. Remote worksite — The job is located far from where the worker lives — typically hundreds of kilometres away in the Australian outback, desert, or offshore. Workers cannot realistically commute daily.
- 2. Charter or commercial flights — Workers travel to and from site by plane (usually charter flights provided by the employer, departing from a capital city or regional hub).
- 3. Roster-based rotation — Work is structured around a fixed swing pattern such as 2 weeks on site, 1 week at home (the 2/1). The pattern determines how long the worker stays on site and how long their R&R period is.
While on site, FIFO workers typically live in a camp (also called a village or donga) — accommodation provided and managed by the employer. Meals, laundry, and recreation facilities are included.
Which industries use FIFO in Australia?
FIFO is widespread across Australia's resource and remote-services sectors:
- Mining — The largest employer of FIFO workers. Open-cut iron ore in WA's Pilbara, underground gold in the WA Goldfields, coal in Queensland's Bowen Basin, and copper-nickel across SA and WA.
- Oil & gas — Onshore LNG and gas processing in WA, the NT, and QLD. Offshore platforms on the North West Shelf and Bass Strait also use FIFO-style arrangements.
- Civil construction — Road, rail, dam, and pipeline projects in remote areas. Large-scale infrastructure like the Inland Rail project uses FIFO crews.
- Remote healthcare — Nurses, doctors, paramedics, and allied health workers serving remote Aboriginal communities and regional hospitals often work FIFO rosters.
- Utilities & energy — Power station maintenance, renewable energy construction, and water treatment workers in remote areas.
Common FIFO roster patterns
The roster pattern defines how your work and rest time is split. The most common patterns in Australia are:
The most common FIFO pattern. 14 days at site, 7 days at home. Widely used across all industries.
Common in large open-cut mining. Longer swing with a longer R&R. Same on-site ratio as the 2/1.
Short 14-day cycle. Used in mid-size mining and construction. Aligns with fortnightly payroll.
Equal-time rotation — 50% of the year at home. Popular in civil construction and healthcare.
Extended swing used in oil and gas, remote nursing, and some mining operations.
What is DIDO? How is it different from FIFO?
DIDO stands for drive-in drive-out. Like FIFO, workers travel to a remote site for a swing and return home for R&R — but instead of flying, they drive. DIDO is common for sites within 2–4 hours of a regional centre, where the cost of charter flights cannot be justified.
Both FIFO and DIDO use the same roster patterns (2/1, 4/2, 8/6, etc.). The key difference is the mode of travel, not the work structure. For the full comparison, see FIFO vs DIDO.
Frequently asked questions about FIFO work
Is FIFO work only in Western Australia?
No. FIFO is widespread across Australia. WA is the largest FIFO market due to its iron ore and gold industries, but significant FIFO workforces operate in Queensland (coal), the Northern Territory (gas and remote services), South Australia (copper and uranium), and offshore platforms on the North West Shelf and Bass Strait.
How much does FIFO work pay?
FIFO pay varies widely by role, industry, employer and enterprise agreement, so there is no single figure. Many FIFO roles include a site or remote-area allowance on top of base pay, and employers commonly cover flights, accommodation and meals while you are on site. Your award or agreement sets the details; the sources below explain how awards and pay work and publish average earnings by industry.
Do FIFO workers get annual leave?
Yes. FIFO workers accrue annual leave under their enterprise agreement or award, the same as any other employee. Many EA provisions also include additional leave loading or site-specific entitlements. R&R periods are not annual leave — they are unpaid (or built into the annualised salary) as part of the roster structure.
What is a swing in FIFO work?
A "swing" is the period a FIFO worker spends on site before flying home. On a 2/1 roster the swing is 14 days; on a 4/2 the swing is 28 days. "Going on swing" means flying out to site; "coming off swing" means flying home.
Sources and further reading
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Pay and wages — how pay, allowances and penalty rates work
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Awards — what an award covers and how to find yours
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Hours of work, breaks and rosters — rules that apply to your hours and roster
- ABS: Average Weekly Earnings, Australia — average earnings by industry
General information only. Check your own award, enterprise agreement or contract for what applies to you.
Plan your FIFO roster with FIFO Planner
FIFO Planner is a free roster planner built specifically for Australian fly-in fly-out workers. Set your pattern and start date, see every future swing and R&R period automatically, overlay Australian public holidays for your state, and export to your calendar — even offline at camp.