Ski resort jobs in Australia on a working holiday visa

Ski resort hiring opens in March and April each year, with most positions filled by June. Working holiday makers planning to work the ski season typically apply well in advance and need to be in Australia or able to arrive by the start of the season.

What roles are available?

Major ski resort employers hire across:

• Lift operations: loading and unloading chairlifts, T-bars, and gondolas; managing queues
• Ski and snowboard instruction: requires certification (Australian Professional Snowsport Instructors qualifications or international equivalents)
• Ski patrol: requires medical and ski/board qualifications
• Hospitality: bars, restaurants, cafes, food courts (covered by the Hospitality Award)
• Accommodation: housekeeping, reception, concierge in resort lodges
• Retail: hire shops, clothing stores, equipment fitting
• Snowmaking: overnight shifts producing artificial snow
• Slope grooming: overnight shifts on snow cats
• Lessons admin and bookings: office-based support roles
• Ticketing: resort entry and ticket sales

The classification under the relevant award depends on the role, not the fact that the resort is in a ski area.

What does ski resort work pay?

Pay depends on the role and the award that covers it:

• Lift operations: typically covered by the Amusement, Events and Recreation Award or a specific enterprise agreement
• Hospitality: Hospitality Award applies, with base hourly rates plus penalty rates for evening, weekend, and public holiday work
• Ski instruction: covered by specific arrangements with the resort or ski school operator
• Snowmaking and grooming: overnight loadings typically apply
• Retail: Retail Industry Award applies

Casual rates with penalty rates can be substantially above the headline base figure, particularly for evening and weekend work. Weekends in ski season are the peak revenue periods, and casual workers often work most of their hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

What about accommodation arrangements?

Most ski resort jobs include on-mountain or near-mountain accommodation as part of the package. The arrangements vary:

• Some resorts provide free or subsidised accommodation as a fringe benefit
• Others charge a weekly rent deducted from wages
• Some require workers to find their own accommodation, with limited support

The tax treatment depends on the arrangement:

• Genuinely free or subsidised accommodation as part of the job may be a tax-exempt fringe benefit
• Accommodation paid for through a wage deduction must be a lawful deduction (see our article on uniform and laundry deductions for the test on what is lawful)
• Accommodation that is heavily subsidised below market value may have fringe benefits tax implications for the employer

When you lodge a tax return through our service, we review the accommodation arrangement and make sure the wages and deductions reflect the actual position.

How does specified work and the second year visa?

Ski resort work can count toward the 88 days of specified work for a second year working holiday visa, but only if it falls within an eligible category and is in a designated regional postcode. The main eligible categories that ski resort work can fall under are:

• Tourism and hospitality in a designated remote or very remote area
• Some maintenance and construction work
• Some agricultural-adjacent work (less common at ski resorts)

Most ski resort areas in Australia are in designated regional postcodes, but not all. Verify the postcode and the work type before relying on ski work to qualify for the second year visa.

What about workers compensation in snow sports?

Snow-related work has higher than average injury rates. Workers compensation covers every employee, including working holiday makers, for injuries during paid work. The cover includes:

• Snow injuries during instruction, patrol, or grooming
• Slips and falls in resort buildings
• Lifting injuries from gear hire
• Cold-related injuries

See our article on workplace injury rights for the framework.

What deductions can ski resort workers claim?

Working holiday makers in ski resort roles can typically claim:

• Resort uniform if not provided
• Non-slip work footwear
• Sun protection (high altitude sun exposure is significant)
• Goggles or eyewear specifically for instructor or outdoor roles
• Ski or snowboard equipment if used directly for instruction work (with apportionment for any personal use)
• Course fees for ski/snowboard instructor qualifications
• A share of phone costs for work coordination
• Travel between mountain locations during the working day

Ski instructors with their own equipment can have substantial deductions. The personal-use apportionment is important: equipment used 60% for instruction and 40% for personal skiing is 60% deductible.

How does our service support ski resort workers?

For working holiday makers in ski resort roles, our team:

• Identifies the correct award for each specific role
• Cross-checks payslips against the correct classification and rate
• Reviews accommodation arrangements for tax implications
• Identifies penalty rate underpayments for evening, weekend, and public holiday shifts
• Reviews any second-year visa eligibility based on the work and location
• Identifies legitimate deductions for instructor equipment and uniforms
• Lodges the tax return reflecting the full picture

Ski seasons generate concentrated earnings over a 3-to-4 month period, which often pushes workers into higher tax brackets if rest-of-year income is also present. Get in touch with our team to make sure your ski season has been properly handled.