FIFO rosters explained: 2:1, 8:6, 14:7 and what they pay per hour
A FIFO roster is written as days (or weeks) on site, then days at home: 2:1 means two weeks on and one week off, 8:6 means eight days on and six off, and 14:7 is the same cycle as 2:1. Most FIFO rosters use 12-hour shifts, so a 2:1 roster puts you on site about 243 days and 2,916 hours a year, against 1,976 hours in a standard 38-hour job.
How do you read a FIFO roster?
The first number is time on site and the second is time at home. When the numbers are small (2:1, 3:1, 4:1) they are usually weeks; when they are bigger (8:6, 14:7, 9:5) they are days. Some ads write the same thing as "8/6", "8 on 6 off" or "8 days on, 6 days off".
Travel days matter. If your flight leaves on your first day on and lands on your last day off, a roster gives you less time at home than the numbers suggest. Ask whether travel is in your own time or paid.
How much time on site does each roster mean?
Time on site is the first number divided by the whole cycle. A 2:1 or 14:7 roster is 67% of the year on site, 8:6 is 57%, and 7:7 or 14:14 is 50%. The table turns that into days and hours a year at 12-hour shifts.
| Roster | Cycle | Time on site | Days on site / yr | Days at home / yr | Hours / yr at 12h | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:1 | 14 on / 7 off | 67% | 243 | 122 | 2,916 | Two weeks on, one week off. |
| 14:7 | 14 on / 7 off | 67% | 243 | 122 | 2,916 | The same cycle as 2:1, written in days. |
| 8:6 | 8 on / 6 off | 57% | 209 | 156 | 2,508 | Eight days on, six off. More time at home per cycle and a shorter swing. |
| 4:3 | 4 on / 3 off | 57% | 209 | 156 | 2,508 | Short swings with frequent travel. |
| 5:2 | 5 on / 2 off | 71% | 261 | 104 | 3,132 | A standard working week. |
| 7:7 | 7 on / 7 off | 50% | 183 | 182 | 2,196 | Equal time on and off, one week each. |
| 14:14 | 14 on / 14 off | 50% | 183 | 182 | 2,196 | Equal time on and off, two weeks each. |
| 4:1 | 28 on / 7 off | 80% | 292 | 73 | 3,504 | Four weeks on, one week off. The most time on site of these rosters. |
Arithmetic: days on site = 365 × days on ÷ (days on + days off). Hours = days on site × 12. Overtime, travel and public holidays are not included.
Which rosters are employers advertising right now?
Of the 1,793 open roles we track on mining employers' careers sites, 375 ads state a roster. The most common is 2:1 (29% of ads with a roster). This is counted from the ads themselves and updates every few hours.
- 2:1109 ads
- 8:6107 ads
- 7:785 ads
- 4:334 ads
- 2:212 ads
- 14:148 ads
- 14:78 ads
- 5:27 ads
What does a FIFO salary work out to per hour?
Divide the annual salary by the hours the roster actually works. On a 2:1 roster with 12-hour shifts that is about 2,916 hours a year, so a A$120,000 salary is roughly A$41 an hour, while the same salary in a 38-hour job is about A$61 an hour. On 8:6 (about 2,508 hours) it is about A$48 an hour.
Across the 42 live FIFO ads that state pay, the median is A$128k a year (range A$75k–A$283k). Ads that give an hourly rate are counted at 38 hours a week, so this median understates what those roles earn on a full roster.
When you compare offers, compare the hourly figure, not the annual one, and check whether super, site allowances and overtime are included.
Which roster is best for a first FIFO job?
There isn't one best roster. 8:6 gives you about 34 more days at home a year than 2:1; 2:1 works about 400 more hours a year, which usually means more pay. Entry-level roles take the roster the site runs, so treat the roster as a reason to pick between offers rather than something to hold out for.
New to FIFO? Read how to get a FIFO job with no experience and the tickets you need.