FIFO Rosters Explained: 8/6 vs 2/1 vs 2/2 vs 4/3

If you're looking at FIFO jobs, you've probably seen rosters advertised as 8/6, 2/1, 2/2 or 4/3.

On paper, they're simple. Work a certain number of days. Fly home. Have a certain number of days off. Repeat.

But once you've actually worked FIFO, you realise your roster affects far more than how many days you spend at work. It affects your income, relationships, sleep, health, travel plans and how sustainable FIFO feels over the long term.

I've worked all four of these rosters, most of them for around a year or longer, and there's one thing I've learned:

There isn't one perfect FIFO roster. There is only the roster that works best for what you're trying to get out of FIFO at that stage of your life.

I've had periods where making as much money as possible was my priority. I've had periods where I wanted to travel the world. And today, things like my relationship, health and life outside mining matter much more to me. Here's what I actually found working each one.

How FIFO Rosters Actually Work

An 8/6 roster means 8 days at work followed by 6 days off.

A 2/1 roster means roughly 2 weeks at work followed by 1 week off.

A 2/2 roster means roughly 2 weeks at work followed by 2 weeks off.

A 4/3 roster means 4 days at work followed by 3 days off.

Here's how the four compare at a glance:

FIFO Roster Comparison

8/6
Typical Pattern: 8 on / 6 off
Approx. Days Worked / Year: ~209
Best For: Overall lifestyle balance
Main Downside: Six days off go quickly

2/1
Typical Pattern: ~15 on / 6 off
Approx. Days Worked / Year: ~261
Best For: Short term earning focus
Main Downside: A lot of time away from home

2/2
Typical Pattern: ~15 on / 13 off
Approx. Days Worked / Year: ~196
Best For: Travel and extended breaks
Main Downside: Two weeks away at a time

4/3
Typical Pattern: 4 on / 3 off
Approx. Days Worked / Year: ~209
Best For: Family & social life
Main Downside: Very short breaks

These figures already account for typical changeover days, but will still vary depending on your employer and how travel days are counted on your specific site.

Two things worth knowing before you compare offers. First, changeover days matter: a week on, week off roster often isn't actually 7 and 7. Depending on flight schedules, it can effectively work out closer to 8/6. The same happens with longer rosters, a 2/1 can end up closer to 15 days on and 6 off once travel is factored in.

Second, the numbers don't always mean weeks. On some overseas operations, rosters like 1/1, 2/1 or 3/1 refer to months, so a 2/1 international roster could mean two months away followed by one month home. Always confirm the unit before comparing two offers.

8/6: My Pick for the Best All Round Roster

8/6 is the roster I've worked the most, and it's probably the most common FIFO roster you'll come across.

What I love about it isn't just having six days off. It's what you can do with them. One of the underrated parts of FIFO is being home while everyone else is at work. I can go surfing in the morning, play golf, go boxing or meet friends for coffee, and because it's often during the week, the places that are packed on a Saturday are almost empty.

But eight days away can still drag. I miss my partner and the sports I enjoy at home, and I find it much harder to look after my body on site. For about a year and a half I worked both days and nights doing my practical time underground and in the pit, and by the end of a swing on nights I could really feel the lack of sleep. My first day home was often more of a recovery day than a day off.

There's also a strange FIFO time warp: eight days at work can feel surprisingly long, while six days at home can feel like nothing. You recover, catch up on everything, see people, and suddenly you're thinking about flying back.

Travel is the other downside. Six days isn't really enough for most international trips without adding annual leave. If I were single and travel was my priority, I'd probably still lean toward 2/2. But at this stage of my life, being away from my partner for eight days beats not seeing her for two weeks every month. For me, 8/6 is the best compromise, and one I think you can sustain for a long career.

It's also worth mentioning 7/7, which is becoming a popular alternative to 8/6. Same idea, work a week, get a week off, though in practice it often ends up closer to 8/6 once changeover days are counted.

2/1: Amazing for Your Bank Account, Hard on Everything Else

I worked a 2/1 roster for roughly a year, and I'll be honest about why: money. It was during COVID, there wasn't much happening outside work anyway, so I made the most of it. I even worked a few 3/1 swings.

Financially, it was fantastic. Seeing the salary hit my account was one of the best parts, and it wasn't only because I was earning more. I was also spending less. When you're on site for two or three weeks, you're not going out for dinners or spending money in the city. You're earning more while having fewer chances to spend it.

But there's a price. The night before flying back could feel pretty terrible, and the first few days on site dragged while I counted down to fly out day. Once those first few days passed, I'd get into work mode and almost forget about home, which is probably a good and a bad thing at once. By the end of a two week swing the lack of sleep really caught up with me, and then one week off after two weeks on felt like nothing. Recovery ate the first couple of days, and by the time I felt normal I was already getting close to flying back.

It also costs you outside work. You see friends less, you have less time for sport, and your odds of missing birthdays, parties and weddings go up simply because you're working so many days of the year.

Today I wouldn't work 2/1 again. My priorities have changed, and I value my health and relationships more than I did then. But if I were younger and just starting out, I'd still consider it. For someone without major family commitments who wants to sacrifice a year or two for a house deposit or a travel fund, it's a powerful tool. For someone with a family, I'd personally avoid it.

2/2: The Ultimate Travel Roster

If 2/1 was my money roster, 2/2 was my travel roster. I worked it for roughly a year and loved it. Two weeks at work is a long time, but flying out knowing you don't have to work for another two weeks is the best feeling.

At the time I was living in Melbourne, and 2/2 let me travel internationally without ever taking annual leave. I flew to the US, travelled through Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, went to Europe and used my breaks to visit family in Italy, all while holding down a full time mining career.

When I didn't travel, those two weeks at home gave me something FIFO often makes hard to find: enough time to properly focus on myself. Sport, sauna, eight hours of sleep, catching up with friends. You have enough time to recover from work and still have a life afterwards, which is the big difference compared with 2/1.

The two weeks on site could still be tough, especially the night before flying back, but mentally, knowing another two week break was waiting made the swing much easier than 2/1. Financially, I earned roughly the same as I did on 8/6 and 4/3, and obviously less than on 2/1. But you're still earning a strong mining salary while spending close to half the year away from work.

The trade off today would be relationships. Two weeks away from your partner every month is a long time, better balanced than 2/1, but still noticeable when someone is waiting for you at home. For a young person who wants to travel the world and still build a mining career, I think 2/2 is very hard to beat.

4/3: Home Every Weekend

I worked 4/3 for around a year, and it feels completely different from the others. The biggest benefit is obvious: you're home every weekend, which means you're actually there for birthdays, family gatherings and weekends away instead of missing them.

It worked well for my relationship too. My partner was busy during the week anyway, but the weekend gave us real time together, which gives 4/3 a much more normal rhythm than most FIFO rosters. But three days off goes by like nothing. You fly home, have your weekend, and you're already packing again. The flip side is true too, four days on site goes incredibly quickly.

One thing I didn't expect: weekdays on site can be terrible for focused work. You're there when everyone else is there, so meetings, calls and people dropping by constantly break up your day. On longer rosters you often work weekends on site, which are quieter and often your best chance to actually get through work. You don't really get that on 4/3.

From a career angle, I think 4/3 suits managers and senior technical roles particularly well, since you're in every working week for the meetings and planning that longer rosters make you miss. Financially it was roughly the same as 8/6 and 2/2 for me. Where it struggles is travel, three days is rarely enough for anything overseas without burning annual leave.

Would I choose it over 8/6 today? I'm happy with 8/6, but both are genuinely good rosters. It comes down to whether you value longer breaks or being home every single weekend.

Which FIFO Roster Is Best?

After working all four, I don't think there's a single answer. It depends what you're optimising for, and what stage of life you're in.

If you want the best overall balance, I'd choose 8/6. If you're young and want to maximise earning for a year or two, 2/1 can make a lot of sense. If you want to travel the world while building a mining career, seriously consider 2/2. If being home every weekend matters most, 4/3 is a great option, particularly for people with families or in management roles.

My own preferences have changed over time. There was a period when working 2/1 and even 3/1 made sense because money was the priority. Then I loved 2/2 because I could see the world without touching annual leave. Today I prefer 8/6 because my relationship, health and life outside work matter more to me now.

The roster you love at 23 might be the roster you hate at 35, and that's completely normal.

Look Beyond the Roster Numbers

Two jobs can advertise the same roster and give you a very different lifestyle. Before accepting a role, I'd always check flight frequency, since limited flight days make getting home quickly harder if something comes up. I'd also check whether it rotates between days and nights. I've done both, and night shift takes a real chunk out of your first few days home just to recover.

Check how your first and last day are treated too. If part of them is spent flying, six days off on paper doesn't mean six full days at home. And confirm whether the roster is quoted in weeks or months, especially for international roles.

What People Underestimate About FIFO Rosters

It's easy to compare FIFO jobs on salary and days off alone, but those numbers don't tell you what the roster actually feels like. Six days off isn't six days of holidays, you're recovering, exercising, seeing people, doing the things you couldn't while away, all while another flight back is already approaching.

At the same time, FIFO gives you things a normal job can't. Surfing on a Tuesday morning when the beach is empty. Travelling overseas during your R&R without touching annual leave. Working an aggressive roster for a year and saving at a rate few other careers allow.

Every roster gives you something, and every roster takes something away.

The Bottom Line

I've worked 8/6, 2/1, 2/2 and 4/3, and each one suited me at a different point in my life. I worked 2/1 when money was the priority, and it delivered. I loved 2/2 when travel mattered more, because two weeks off let me see the world while still building a mining career. I enjoyed 4/3 because being home every weekend meant a much more normal social and family life.

Today, I'd choose 8/6. For me, having enough time to look after my health, spend time with my partner and friends, and maintain a life outside mining is worth more than maximising the number on my payslip. Your answer might be completely different, and that's the point.

Don't just choose the roster that gives you the best job. Choose the roster that gives you the life you actually want.

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