First job in Australia or New Zealand: 12% super, tax numbers and your first payslip

Your first job in Australia comes with a short admin list: get a tax file number (TFN), open a bank account, give your employer your super details and check that your first payslip lands within 1 working day of pay day. New Zealand is similar but not the same: you need an IRD number and a written employment agreement, and adult pay must be at least $23.95 an hour. Visa holders get the same minimum workplace rights as everyone else in both countries. This guide covers the first weeks, fast.

Still applying? Start with our CV guide for Australia and New Zealand, the cover letter guide and our job interview tips. Got the offer but not signed yet? Use the job offer checklist first. Everything below is for after you say yes.

Starting a new job: the two countries side by side

Scan this first. Each row is covered in more detail further down.

Australia: tax file number and tax rates

A TFN is your tax reference. If you are a temporary visitor with a visa that has valid work rights, you can apply online through the ATO's Individual Auto-Registration system. It costs nothing, and the number should arrive within 28 days. Apply directly on the ATO tax file number page.

Give the number to your employer as soon as it arrives. Then look at which tax table applies to you, because the difference is large:

• Australian residents for tax (2026-27): no tax on the first $18,200, then 15c for each $1 up to $45,000, with higher rates above that.
• Foreign residents for tax (2025-26, the latest year the ATO shows): 30c for each $1 from the first dollar up to $135,000.
• Working holiday makers (2025-26): 15c for each $1 up to $45,000.

The ATO's resident rates do not include the 2% Medicare levy, which is charged on top. Foreign residents for tax purposes do not pay the levy. Check which group the ATO puts you in before you count on the tax-free amount.

Australia: bank account, super and your first payslip

ASIC's Moneysmart says a new arrival can open a bank account at a branch: ask for an everyday transaction account with no fees and bring proof of identity such as a passport or driving licence. Employers usually pay wages straight into that account.

On top of your wages, your employer pays super into a fund for you. The super guarantee rate is 12% from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. If you hold a temporary visa and later leave Australia, the departing Australia superannuation payment lets you claim that super if you meet the ATO's conditions, including that your visa has ceased and you have left. The ATO suggests starting the claim before you go, but it can only be claimed after departure, and it is taxed: 35% on the taxed element, or 65% for working holiday makers.

Your payslip must reach you within 1 working day of pay day, on paper or electronically, even if you are on leave. It has to show your pay for the period, any deductions, and the super paid and which fund received it. Fair Work Inspectors can fine an employer who issues no payslips, or late ones.

Australia: minimum pay, hours and leave

From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour, or $1004.90 for a 38-hour week. Most workers are covered by an award for their industry or job, and award rates can be higher. A commis chef under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award, for example, has a minimum of $29.45 an hour, so check the award for your own role before you compare offers, such as a chef de partie and commis chef role in Sydney, where the job page shows the pay offered.

Other basics from week one:

• Hours: a maximum of 38 a week, unless your employer asks for reasonable extra hours.
• Casual loading: 25 per cent for casuals who are not covered by an award or agreement.
• Leave: 4 weeks paid annual leave and 10 days paid sick and carer's leave a year for full-time staff (part-time pro rata); casuals get no paid annual leave and 2 days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion.
• Probation: you get the same entitlements as other employees, including paid leave for full-time and part-time staff.
• Training and induction: paid, because time in training is time worked.

Your employer must also hand you the Fair Work Information Statement before you start or as soon as possible after. Our offer checklist explains the extra statements for casual and fixed-term jobs.

First job in New Zealand: IRD number, agreement and pay

Your IRD number identifies you for tax. It is free to apply for and stays with you for life, so you only ever need one. Apply through Inland Revenue, then pass it to your employer.

Every employee in New Zealand must have a written employment agreement. If you are on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), Employment New Zealand says Immigration New Zealand does not allow a trial period in your job.

From 1 April 2026 the adult minimum wage is $23.95 an hour before tax, or $958 for a 40-hour week. Starting-out and training minimum wages are $19.16 an hour. Check the current rates on the Employment New Zealand minimum wage page.

Three differences from Australia catch new arrivals out:

• No automatic payslip: the law does not require one, but you can ask for your hours worked and pay records.
• No KiwiSaver on a temporary visa: it is only for citizens and people entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely.
• Annual holidays build up: the 4 weeks of paid annual holidays apply after 12 months of continuous work, while eligible employees get 10 days of paid sick leave a year.

New employee rights when you hold a visa

In Australia, Fair Work says visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights as all other employees: pay, leave, protection from discrimination and final pay. Your employer cannot cancel your visa; only Home Affairs grants, refuses or cancels visas, and contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman will not get your visa cancelled. Cashback schemes, where an employer unreasonably makes you pay them for the job, are illegal. Read the Fair Work guide for visa holders. For help in another language, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask them to call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.

In New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand says everyone, migrants included, has the same minimum employment rights, such as paid holidays, sick leave and the right to complain about unsafe work. Employers cannot charge you fees for a job or pass their recruitment costs to you, directly or through someone else.

One scam check fits both countries: New Zealand's National Cyber Security Centre says a genuine employer will not need your bank account details until you have accepted a job. Bank details belong in the onboarding paperwork after you say yes, never in a first chat message.

Your first two weeks, in order

1. Keep a signed copy of your contract or agreement, plus the Fair Work Information Statement in Australia.
2. Apply for your TFN or IRD number on the official government site. Both are free.
3. Open an everyday bank account with your passport or driving licence.
4. Give your employer your tax number, bank details and, in Australia, your super fund details.
5. Write down your start and finish times every day, including induction and training.
6. When the first pay arrives, compare your own record with the payslip (Australia) or the pay records you ask for (New Zealand): hours, rate, tax and super.
7. Raise any gap early and in writing. If it is not fixed, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman or Employment New Zealand.

Common mistakes in the first month

• Paying for a tax number. A TFN and an IRD number are both free from the government.
• Counting on the tax-free threshold without checking whether you are a resident for tax.
• Expecting KiwiSaver on a work visa, or forgetting to claim Australian super after you leave.
• Doing unpaid induction or training. In Australia that time is work and must be paid.
• Not keeping your own record of hours, so a short payment is hard to prove.
• Staying quiet because of your visa. A complaint to the Fair Work Ombudsman does not cancel a visa.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a tax file number take to arrive?

The ATO says a TFN applied for online through Individual Auto-Registration should arrive within 28 days. It is free, and you need a visa with valid work rights to apply this way as a temporary visitor.

Do I get a payslip in New Zealand?

Not automatically. Employment New Zealand says payslips are not required by law, but you can ask your employer to show you or give you a copy of your hours worked and pay records at any time.

Can I join KiwiSaver on a work visa?

No. Inland Revenue says KiwiSaver is for New Zealand citizens and people entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely, so people on a temporary, visitor, work or student visa cannot join.

Is induction training paid in Australia?

Yes. Fair Work says that when an employee does training as part of their job, those hours must be paid, because time spent in training counts as time worked.

Can my employer cancel my visa if I complain about pay?

No. Fair Work says an employer cannot cancel a worker's visa, only the Department of Home Affairs can grant, refuse or cancel visas, and contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman will not get a visa cancelled.

Key takeaways

• Apply for a TFN (Australia) or IRD number (New Zealand) in week one; both are free.
• Australian employers pay 12% super, and payslips are due within 1 working day of pay day.
• Minimum adult pay is $26.44 an hour in Australia and $23.95 in New Zealand; awards can set more.
• Visa holders have the same minimum workplace rights as everyone else in both countries.
• Keep your own record of hours and check every early pay against it.