FIFO Rosters Explained: 2/1, 8/6, 14/7 and Even Time
Your roster shapes your income, your body and your relationships more than your job title does. Here is how each one really works.
New FIFO workers focus almost entirely on salary and almost not at all on roster. Six months later, roster is the only thing they talk about. Every common Australian roster pattern trades money against time at home, and knowing the trade before you sign is worth thousands of dollars and a lot of goodwill.
The Common Patterns
2/1 means two weeks on site, one week home. It is the workhorse roster of the Pilbara, delivers strong earnings and is hard on family life over long periods.
8/6 is eight days on, six days off, and is widely considered the most liveable roster in Australian mining. Pay is lower than 2/1 for the same rate, but retention is far higher.
14/7 and 14/14 appear on remote and exploration work. 14/14 is 'even time' — equal days on and off — and is the most family-friendly pattern available at scale.
5/2 and 4/3 are typically residential or DIDO patterns in towns like Kalgoorlie, Karratha and Muswellbrook, where you live locally and drive to site.
How Roster Changes Your Pay
Two workers on identical hourly rates can differ by $40,000 a year purely on roster and shift pattern. More days on site means more paid hours, more night shift loading and more overtime exposure.
Always compare total annualised earnings, not the headline rate. A 2/1 role at a lower rate frequently out-earns an 8/6 role at a higher one.
Fatigue, Health and Relationships
Twelve-hour shifts with a night rotation carry real cumulative fatigue. Sites manage this with fatigue policies, but your recovery on days off is your responsibility. Sleep discipline in camp matters more than gym time.
The most successful long-term FIFO workers protect a fixed routine at home — the same first day back, the same commitments — so their partner and children can plan around the roster rather than around them.
Which Roster Suits a Beginner
Take whatever gets you on site first. Once you are inducted, referenced and known to a supervisor, roster changes and internal transfers become genuinely available. Holding out for even time as your first job usually means not working at all.
Key Takeaways
- 2/1 maximises income; 8/6 and even time maximise sustainability.
- Compare annualised earnings, not hourly rates, between rosters.
- Night rotations drive most FIFO fatigue problems.
- Beginners should accept any roster, then transfer from inside.
