Two things make this job hard to research honestly, and almost every article about it gets both wrong.
The first is that "Qantas ground staff" is not one job with one employer. Half of it is no longer a Qantas job at all.
The second is pay. Qantas refuses to publish a figure. So other sites fill the gap with Glassdoor and Indeed estimates. We are not going to do that, because we do not need to: the real pay table is a public government document, and we have read it.
Which "Ground Staff" Job Do You Actually Mean?
This distinction decides which company you apply to, so it comes first.
In August 2020 Qantas announced it was reviewing its ground handling. Its own statement said Qantas and Jetstar directly employed people in ground operations roles including baggage handling and aircraft cleaning at 11 large airports, and that it proposed to outsource that work at ten of them. The same statement drew the line explicitly: customer facing team members at airports were not impacted or in scope.
The outsourcing went ahead, and it went badly. In 2023 the High Court upheld rulings that it was unlawful. In August 2025 Qantas accepted a $90 million penalty from the Federal Court and apologised to the 1,820 ground handling employees affected, having already paid $120 million into a compensation fund.
So in 2026:
| The job | Who employs it |
|---|---|
| Airport customer service, check-in, boarding, lounges, Baggage Services desk | Qantas Airways Limited, directly |
| Passenger ramp and baggage loading at the ten outsourced airports | Ground handling contractors, not Qantas |
| Freight ground crew | Qantas Ground Services, a Qantas subsidiary |
| Jetstar and regional airline airport crew | Jetstar and the regional entities, each on their own agreement |
Watch the wording trap. Qantas "Baggage Services" and "baggage handling" sound identical and are different jobs. Baggage Services is a customer service desk role tracing lost bags on WorldTracer, still employed by Qantas. Baggage handling is loading aircraft on the ramp, and at those ten ports it is contractor work. If you apply to the wrong one you waste weeks.
Qantas Airport Customer Service Roles →
What Does It Really Pay?
Ask Qantas and you get this, from its own careers FAQ: it provides all the information you need about salaries during its recruitment process, and customer service employees are employed under enterprise agreements that apply to each employing entity.
That sounds like a dead end. It is actually a map. Enterprise agreements are public documents published by the Fair Work Commission, and the one covering Qantas airport customer service is agreement AE531839, approved on 28 January 2026, in force from 4 February 2026 until 30 June 2029.
It says the entry level for positions in airports is Level 3, and new starters sit at Level 3 year one for 18 months. Here is its own salary schedule:
| Level | From 1 Jul 2026 | From 1 Jul 2027 | From 1 Jul 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3.1 (airport entry level) | $61,608 | $63,456 | $65,360 |
| Level 3.3 | $65,951 | $67,929 | $69,967 |
| Level 5.1 | $71,499 | $73,644 | $75,854 |
Now the caveat that makes this honest, and that no estimate site will tell you. Those are full-time annual bases, and Qantas states that all its airport customer service employees work part-time. The agreement sets part-time work at a minimum of 20 hours a week, a minimum daily engagement of four hours, and a maximum of 30 ordinary hours a week. So do not budget $61,608. Budget that figure pro rata against a full-time week, then add shift loadings, which on this agreement are substantial: time and a half on Saturdays, double time on Sundays, double time and a half on Christmas Day and Good Friday, and up to 27.5 per cent for permanent night shift at Levels 1 to 4.
For context, Australia's National Minimum Wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week. The Airline Operations Ground Staff Award sets the industry floor, with Level 1 in the aviation transport stream at $27.38 an hour from 1 July 2026. The Qantas agreement pays above that floor, which is the point of having one.
Can I Get This Job on a Visa?
Almost certainly not, and Qantas says so on the adverts themselves.
A live Qantas Ground Services advert states that applications will only be considered for candidates who have the right to work in Australia or New Zealand without restrictions or sponsorship. A Jetstar airport advert lists the requirement as unlimited working rights in Australia, no sponsorship required.
The government side confirms it. We read Australia's Core Skills Occupation List, which is the list used for the employer-sponsored Skills in Demand visa. It contains 456 occupations. There is no baggage handler, no airport customer service agent, no ground crew. The only occupation containing the word "handler" in the entire list is Dog Handler or Trainer.
So if you are outside Australia hoping an airline will sponsor you into a ground job, we would rather tell you now: that route does not exist. Realistically these roles go to citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens. A student visa's 48-hour-a-fortnight cap is itself a restriction, which is why the adverts word it the way they do.
The ASIC: What It Costs and How Long It Takes
Every airport job needs an Aviation Security Identification Card, and this is where timelines go wrong.
- It is issued after a background check run by AusCheck, part of the Department of Home Affairs.
- The check covers a criminal history check and criminal intelligence assessment by the ACIC, a national security assessment by ASIO, and a right-to-work check through VEVO if you hold a visa.
- A red ASIC is the one for airside zones such as the ramp and tarmac.
- The government fee is $262 for a two-year adult card, but issuing bodies set their own total charge on top, so the amount you pay will be higher and varies.
- Background checks take six to eight weeks, and AusCheck advises applying at least six weeks before you need the card.
Two things worth knowing that the adverts do not spell out. There is no Australian citizenship requirement for an ASIC — AusCheck's own identity document list accepts an Australian visa with a foreign passport, and an ImmiCard. The barrier for visa holders is the employer's work-rights rule, not the security card. And on cost: the Qantas agreement says the employer reimburses the application fee, but it does not reimburse costs incurred before your employment starts, or unsuccessful applications and renewals.
What Else Do You Need?
From Qantas's own careers pages and live Qantas Group adverts:
- Pre-employment medical and ASIC check, both of which you must pass. Qantas funds the medical.
- Two professional references.
- Minimum age 18 on Qantas Group airport adverts.
- No aviation experience required for airport roles, but availability for a seven-day rotating roster is.
- For freight ground crew, the ability to repetitively lift items up to 32 kg. Note that figure. Guides quoting 30 kg are copying a page Qantas retired.
On benefits, we have to correct three claims that circulate widely. "Qantas College", Australian Qualifications Framework recognition and an "attractive superannuation scheme" appear nowhere on Qantas's careers site. What the benefits page does list is staff travel, including heavily discounted standby fares and 25 per cent off confirmed Qantas flights, employee deals and salary packaging, and 18 weeks of primary carer's leave. As for superannuation, it is a legal minimum of 12 per cent from 1 July 2026, paid by every Australian employer, and from that date it must be paid each payday rather than quarterly. That is the law, not a Qantas perk.
How Do I Apply, Step by Step?
- Decide which job you mean using the table above. Customer service means Qantas; ramp loading at the outsourced ports means a contractor.
- Check your work rights first. If they are not unrestricted, stop here rather than spending weeks on applications.
- Search the customer service team page on careers.qantas.com and filter by your airport.
- Read the employing entity on the advert. Qantas Airways, Qantas Ground Services and Jetstar pay under different agreements.
- Apply online and create an account so you can track applications.
- Line up two professional references before you are asked for them.
- Budget six to eight weeks for the ASIC and pass the pre-employment medical.
- Set up job alerts if nothing is open at your airport, because these roles are advertised in waves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Qantas still employ baggage handlers?
Not for passenger ramp loading at the ten airports outsourced in 2020. Qantas still employs Baggage Services desk staff, which is a customer service role, and Qantas Ground Services employs freight ground crew.
How much do Qantas airport staff earn?
Qantas publishes no figure. Its enterprise agreement, which the Fair Work Commission publishes, sets the airports entry level at Level 3, year one, at $61,608 a year full-time from 1 July 2026.
Are Qantas airport jobs full-time?
No. Qantas states all its airport customer service employees work part-time, and the agreement sets 20 hours a week minimum and 30 ordinary hours maximum.
Does Qantas sponsor visas for ground staff?
No. Qantas Group adverts require the right to work without restrictions or sponsorship, and none of these occupations appear on the Core Skills Occupation List.
What is an ASIC and what does it cost?
An Aviation Security Identification Card, issued after an AusCheck background check. The government fee is $262 for a two-year adult card, plus whatever the issuing body charges on top.
How long does the ASIC take?
Six to eight weeks for the background check. AusCheck advises applying at least six weeks before you need the card.
Can I get an ASIC if I am not an Australian citizen?
There is no citizenship requirement for the card itself, and AusCheck accepts an Australian visa with a foreign passport as identity. The employer's work rights rule is the real barrier.
How heavy is the lifting?
A live Qantas Ground Services freight advert requires the ability to repetitively lift items up to 32 kg. Check the physical requirements on the specific posting.
People Also Search For
Qantas careers airport customer service
The customer service team page on careers.qantas.com carries the roles, the FAQ and the pre-employment requirements.
Qantas enterprise agreement pay rates
Agreement AE531839, published by the Fair Work Commission, in force 4 February 2026 to 30 June 2029, with the full salary schedule inside.
ASIC card application Australia
Applied for through an issuing body and background checked by AusCheck. Red for airside zones, grey and white for other areas.
Airline Operations Ground Staff Award 2020
Award MA000048, the industry floor. Level 1 in the aviation transport stream is $27.38 an hour from 1 July 2026.
Australia National Minimum Wage 2026
$26.44 an hour or $1,004.90 a week from 1 July 2026, after a 4.75 per cent annual wage review increase.
Core Skills Occupation List Australia
The 456-occupation list used for the Skills in Demand visa. Airport ground occupations are not on it.
Qantas Ground Services jobs
A wholly owned Qantas subsidiary providing ground handling to Qantas Freight, advertising its own ground crew roles.
Superannuation guarantee rate 2026
12 per cent from 1 July 2026, payable each payday rather than quarterly.
More Job Guides
Working out whether Australia is open to you at all, or comparing airline employers? Start here:
- How Foreign Workers Can Get a Job in Australia — the routes that exist, before you apply to anything.
- Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Australia — which occupations are actually sponsored.
- How to Apply for BHP Mining Jobs in Australia — another Australian employer that keeps its pay quiet.
- No Experience Jobs in Australia — where a rotating roster and no experience is enough.
- How to Apply for Etihad Airport Jobs in UAE — the same twist, at Abu Dhabi: the airline is not the employer.
- How to Apply for Singapore Airlines Cabin Crew Jobs — published pay, a five-year contract, and the service bond most guides omit.
- How to Apply for Heathrow Airport Jobs in the UK — the five year vetting and counter terrorism check that decide the application.
This article is for general informational purposes, using Qantas's own newsroom statements and careers pages, the Fair Work Commission's published enterprise agreement AE531839, the Airline Operations Ground Staff Award MA000048, Fair Work Ombudsman minimum wage data, AusCheck guidance on the Aviation Security Identification Card, the Department of Home Affairs Core Skills Occupation List and Australian Taxation Office superannuation rates, checked on 22 September 2026. Agreements are renegotiated, award rates change each July and immigration rules change. Always check the live posting and the official government source before acting.
