Knowing how to read a job ad comes down to three questions: is the pay at least the legal minimum, are the requirements real and lawful, and does anything in the ad look like a scam? In Australia no ad may offer less than the award, an enterprise agreement or the National Minimum Wage of $26.44 an hour, and an ad may only mention age, sex or race when it is a genuine requirement of the job. Take five minutes to check those lines before you write a word of your application.
Below, an ad is read from top to bottom the way a recruiter reads it, for jobs in Australia and New Zealand.
Start with the job title and the duties
A title tells you less than you think, so read the duties before you decide the role fits.
Look for verbs such as "operate", "supervise" or "reconcile". If the duties are vague and the ad only talks about earnings, that is your first warning.
Some titles deserve a second look on their own. Scamwatch says money mule job offers often use titles like "administrator", "finance agent" or "remote cashier", and acting as a money mule is a serious crime even if you don't know how the money is used.
Read the pay line against the legal floor
Fair Work's guidance on job ads says an ad can't advertise a pay rate below the minimum in the applicable award, enterprise agreement or the National Minimum Wage order, and anyone can report such an ad to the Fair Work Ombudsman anonymously.
Fair Work also says most employees' minimum wage is set by the award covering their industry or occupation, and award rates may be higher than the National Minimum Wage. So an ad paying just over $26.44 an hour can still be underpaying if the award for that job is higher. From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour or $1004.90 a week, based on a week of 38 ordinary hours.
Watch the word "casual". For award and agreement free employees the casual loading is 25 per cent, which is meant to make up for the paid leave a casual does not get.
"Plus super" should mean 12%, and since 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, the ATO says super is paid each payday instead of each quarter, reaching your fund within 7 business days after payday.
In New Zealand the adult minimum wage is $23.95 an hour before tax from 1 April 2026, which is $958 for a 40-hour week.
Sponsored jobs have a second floor
For roles with visa sponsorship, the pay line matters twice. In the Core Skills stream of Australia's Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), the worker must be paid the annual market salary rate for the occupation and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold, which is AUD79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
In New Zealand, an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) job offer must be for at least 30 hours a week, from an accredited employer with an approved job check, and paid at least the market rate for the job. You can search Immigration New Zealand's accredited employer list by the 13-digit New Zealand Business Number or the company name.
On JobFinder, each Australia and New Zealand listing shows the location, salary and visa details stated in the ad, so you can compare the pay line with these floors before you apply.
What a lawful ad can and cannot ask for
The Australian Human Rights Commission's recruitment guide says discriminatory advertising is against the law, with fines for organisations and individuals. An ad may only mention personal characteristics such as age, sex or race if they are genuine requirements of the job.
The Fair Work Act also stops an employer taking adverse action against a prospective employee for discriminatory reasons. The protected attributes include race, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, religion and national extraction.
The same rules carry into the interview: our guide to illegal interview questions in Australia covers questions about children, age and sick days, and how to answer them.
Sort the requirements into must-have and nice-to-have
Most ads mix two lists. The must-haves are usually licences, registrations, a set number of years of experience or a qualification. The nice-to-haves come after words like "desirable", "an advantage" or "ideally".
Some jobs, especially government jobs, list selection criteria. The Queensland Government says your answers should show, with relevant examples, the experience, skills and abilities the job needs.
The ad is also your CV brief. Tahatū, New Zealand's government careers service, advises updating your CV for each application using information and keywords from the job ad. A tool like Build AI CV can help you match a draft to the ad's wording, but check every line yourself: Tahatū warns that AI results must be checked for errors and exaggerated claims. Our guide on how to write a CV for Australia covers length and layout.
Red flags inside the ad itself
Many fake ads give themselves away before you ever reply. Scamwatch says to stop and check any job that needs you to pay money to make money, and lists warning signs such as unexpected contact by text or on WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, a quick hiring process with no interview, and being asked to pay a "recruitment fee" or for training materials before starting.
Other lines to catch:
- A "work permit" on offer. Australia doesn't issue work permits, so anyone offering one is running a scam.
- A promised visa. Home Affairs says anyone promising a visa, permanent residency or citizenship is misleading you.
- Fees to the employer. Immigration New Zealand says New Zealand employers cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay their recruitment costs, even through a third party.
- Early requests for bank details or travel money. A genuine employer won't need your bank details until you have accepted a job.
- An offer letter with a Labour Inspectorate "stamp of approval". The Labour Inspectorate does not approve job offers, so that stamp is a scam sign.
Losses to job and employment scams reported to Scamwatch jumped from $13.7 million in 2024 to $24.8 million in 2025, an 81.5% increase. One common type is the task scam. For a closer look at how fake recruiters behave on a first call, this guide to fake interview red flags from JobsAbroad Pakistan is worth a read for any nationality.
A line-by-line check of any job ad
| Part of the ad | What to look for | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Title | A role that matches the duties listed | "Remote cashier" or "finance agent" with no real duties |
| Pay | At or above the award, agreement or minimum wage | Below $26.44 an hour in Australia or $23.95 in New Zealand |
| Hours and type | Full-time, part-time or casual stated clearly | "Casual" pay with no loading, or hours never mentioned |
| Visa line | Sponsorship stated, with any conditions | A "work permit" or a promised visa |
| Requirements | Licences, experience and skills linked to the work | Age, sex or race asked for with no genuine reason |
| How to apply | A CV, a cover letter, an interview | Chat apps only, no interview, money or documents up front |
How to read a job ad in seven steps
- Read the whole ad once without taking notes.
- Underline the duties and check the title matches them.
- Find the award for the job and compare the pay, including any casual loading; for sponsored jobs, check the visa floor as well.
- Copy the must-have requirements into one list and the nice-to-haves into another, and be honest about each one.
- Note every keyword, licence, tool and selection criterion to use in your CV and cover letter.
- Scan for the red flags above: fees, chat-app hiring, early requests for your passport or bank details, promised visas.
- Look up the employer's contact details yourself before you send anything; Scamwatch advises using phone numbers you have sourced yourself and not being rushed.
Once the ad passes, our job application checklist takes you through the ten checks before you click apply. If you want an employer to see more than a CV, an optional verified Talent Tabloid profile lets employers check your experience and can help your application stand out.
Try the steps on a live listing, such as this civil engineering technician job in Perth or one of our IT and technology jobs.
Common mistakes when reading job ads
- Taking the pay on trust. An ad above the National Minimum Wage can still be below the award for that job. Check the award.
- Stretching the truth to fit. Inventing a licence or experience to match an ad can end your application, and false documents can bring visa trouble later.
- Trusting the platform instead of the ad. Scamwatch says scammers post fake ads on trusted platforms too.
- Sending documents too early. Scamwatch says never send your passport to an employer you are not certain is genuine.
- Accepting a trial that is really a shift. Fair Work says an unpaid trial must not go longer than needed to show your skills; read our guide to unpaid trial shifts before you agree to one.
For a wider view of the pay floor and award rules behind every offer, this Talynx guide to workplace rights in Australia goes further. When an ad turns into an offer, our job offer checklist for Australia and New Zealand covers what the contract must get right.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if the pay in a job ad is legal in Australia?
Find the award that covers the job and compare its minimum rate with the ad. Fair Work says an ad cannot offer less than the applicable award, enterprise agreement or the National Minimum Wage, which is $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026. A lower ad can be reported anonymously to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Can a job ad ask for a certain age, gender or race?
Only when that characteristic is a genuine requirement of the job. The Australian Human Rights Commission says discriminatory advertising is against the law, and fines can apply to the organisation and to the person who placed the ad.
Is a job ad on a well-known website always genuine?
No. Scamwatch says not to trust a job ad just because it sits on a trusted platform or website, since scammers post fake ads there too. Judge the ad by what it asks of you, such as money before you start.
What does "market rate" mean in a New Zealand AEWV job ad?
Immigration New Zealand says an Accredited Employer Work Visa job must pay at least the market rate for that job, offer at least 30 hours a week and come from an accredited employer with an approved job check.
Should I apply if I do not meet every requirement in the ad?
Often yes, as long as you meet the essential ones. Separate the must-have items, such as a licence or a set amount of experience, from the nice-to-have ones, and be honest about any gap. Never claim a skill, licence or certificate you do not hold.
Key takeaways
- Check the pay against the award, not just the $26.44 National Minimum Wage; ads below the minimum can be reported to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
- Sponsored jobs carry a second floor: the CSIT of AUD79,423 for most 482 Core Skills nominations, or the market rate for an AEWV.
- An ad may ask for age, sex or race only when it is a genuine requirement of the job.
- Split requirements into must-have and nice-to-have, and use the ad's keywords honestly in your CV.
- Fees, chat-app hiring, promised visas and early requests for your passport or bank details are reasons to stop.
