What Your Family Needs to Know Before You Move to Australia for Work in the Automotive Industry
26.12.2025
6 mins to read
Thinking about packing the minivan, shipping your tools, and swapping long commutes for open highways and sunshine? Moving to Australia for work in the automotive industry can be a career-defining step. The country offers strong demand for experienced automotive professionals, competitive remuneration across vehicle manufacturing and service networks, and ongoing projects supporting production, maintenance and fleet operations. But families who have already made the move know one thing for sure: the job offer is only half the story. How will your children settle into school? Will your family be covered by healthcare? What do working hours, leave, and taxes actually look like once you arrive? Before you say yes and start planning the logistics, here’s what every automotive professional with a family should understand about relocating to Australia.
Automotive work and family routines – preparing for a move
Automotive professionals work in Australia across manufacturing plants, OEM supply chains, logistics centres or dealerships and heavy-industry. Depending on the role, this can mean shift work, early starts or site-basxed schedules. For families, predictability matters. Therefore, Australia’s employment framework sets minimum standards designed to protect work-life balance across industries. Concerns about balancing long shifts with childcare and school hours frequently arise in relocation discussions.
Schools: one of the biggest family decisions
Education is often the deciding factor for families moving to Australia. Children can attend public (state) schools, private or independent schools, or fee-paying international schools. Public schools are generally free for permanent residents and australian citizens, while children on certain temporary visas may need to pay tuition fees, depending on the state. School placement is usually tied to residential catchment zones, meaning where you live determines which public school your child can attend. This makes housing choices particularly important for automotive professionals working near industrial estates or outer-suburban manufacturing hubs.
Families arriving on temporary skilled visas should also be aware that children may be classed as international students and enrolled under national frameworks managed by the Australian Government. This is why parents often look beyond general descriptions of the education system and ask for concrete figures — especially when private schools or additional English-language support are part of the plan. Indicative annual private school fees in Australia typically fall within the ranges below, giving families a realistic starting point for budgeting alongside an automotive contract:
| School type | Typical annual tuition (AUD) |
| Low-fee independents | ~$4,000 – 10,000 |
| Independent Catholic schools | ~$5,000 – 15,000 |
| Mid-tier independent schools | ~$10,000 – 25,000 |
| Sydney private schools (general) | ~$15,000 – 40,000+ |
| Elite independent schools | ~$25,000 – 45,000+ |
| National long-term equivalent | ~$26,900 per year (13-yr average) |
Healthcare: what your visa really gives you
Australia’s public healthcare system, Medicare, provides access to doctors, hospitals and subsidised medicines. However, eligibility depends on your visa. Some skilled workers and their families can enrol immediately, while others must rely on private health insurance until eligibility changes or permanent residency is granted.
Certain temporary residents are covered by Ministerial Orders, but this is not automatic and must be confirmed individually. It is also a critical step for families with young children or a partner not yet working. Uncertainty around healthcare access is a recurring theme in family relocation discussions. This is exactly where experienced relocation support matters: from confirming Medicare eligibility to arranging compliant private cover, we guide automotive professionals and their families through every administrative step, so healthcare access is one less thing to worry about during the move.
Working hours, leave and time with your family
Australia’s National Employment Standards apply across industries, including automotive manufacturing, transport and engineering roles. These standards help families understand what work life will realistically look like once the relocation excitement fades.
| Entitlement | What it means for your family |
| Ordinary hours | 38 hours per week for full-time employees |
| Annual leave | 4 weeks of paid leave per year |
| Sick/carer’s leave | Paid leave to care for yourself or close family |
| Parental leave | Up to 12 months of protected unpaid leave |
| Public holidays | Paid days off or penalty rates if worked |
Taxes: understanding your real take-home pay
Anyone earning income in Australia pays Australian tax. Whether you are classified as a tax resident affects how much tax you pay and whether overseas income is included. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, while non-residents are taxed only on Australian-sourced income. Most workers also pay the Medicare levy, which helps fund public healthcare. Applying for a Tax File Number (TFN) soon after arrival ensures correct tax withholding and avoids higher default tax rates. Questions around ‘how much tax will I actually pay?’ are among the most common financial concerns raised by relocating families. To turn that concern into something tangible, the table below outlines the current Australian income tax rates for 2025-2026, giving automotive professionals a clear, percentage-based view of what their gross salary may look like after tax:
| Tax concept | Taxable income band (AUD) | Applicable rate (%) |
| Resident – tax-free threshold | Up to $18,200 | 0% |
| Resident – low middle income | $18,201 – $45,000 | 16% |
| Resident – middle income | $45,001 – $135,000 | 30% |
| Resident – higher income | $135,001 – $190,000 | 37% |
| Resident – top bracket | $190,001 and over | 45% |
| Medicare levy (most residents) | Entire taxable income above threshold | 2% |
| Medicare levy surcharge (no private hospital cover) | Single $97,001-$113,000 | 1.0% |
| Medicare levy surcharge higher tier | Single $113,001-$151,000 | 1.25% |
| Medicare levy surcharge top tier | Single $151,001 and over | 1.5% |
| Non-resident tax rate (no tax-free threshold) | Up to $135,000 | 30% |
| Non-resident tax rate 2nd tier | $135,001 – $190,000 | 37% |
| Non-resident top rate | $190,001 and over | 45% |
more information about the cost of living: click
A practical checklist before you move to Australia
Drawing on common relocation challenges faced by automotive specialists relocating to Australia with their families, we have compiled the following practical checklist. It focuses on the steps that matter most in the weeks before departure and immediately after arrival, such as the details that can prevent delays, unexpected costs and unnecessary stress once your new role begins. Use it as a reference point as you plan your move and as a final sense-check before committing to timelines, housing and school arrangements:
- Confirm visa conditions for your partner and children;
- Check Medicare eligibility or arrange private health insurance;
- Research school catchment zones near your workplace;
- Apply for a Tax File Number shortly after arrival;
- Factor shift patterns or site-based work into childcare and school planning.
more information about visa application and options: click
Turning a career move into a family win – living in Australia
Australia offers strong opportunities for automotive professionals, but a smooth relocation is not defined by the job alone. Families settle best when education, healthcare, working hours, accommodation and taxes are clearly understood from the start. With the right preparation, moving to Australia can become more than a career move. It can be a sustainable, long-term upgrade for your entire family.
Sources
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/national-employment-standards
https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/parents-and-carers/choosing-a-school-setting/enrolment
https://www.education.gov.au/tps/international-students
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/enrolling-medicare
https://www.expatica.com/au/finance/taxes/income-tax-2173454
https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/australia/individual/taxes-on-personal-income
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/annual-leave
https://www.ato.gov.au/tax-rates-and-codes/tax-rates-australian-residents
