Student Jobs at McDonalds

McDonalds Job Application for Students

Best known for its burgers, McDonald’s has also built a strong business around its McCafe brand. The world’s first McCafe outlet was opened in Melbourne in 1993, with thousands of these small stalls opening across the globe in the decades since.

Being a fast food chain, McDonald’s restaurants are open long hours and offer up plenty of entry-level work. The company’s constant need for casual, temporary and part-time workers has seen it become one of Australia’s largest employers of students.

McDonald's employer info

• Size: Australia’s most popular restaurant chain ($1.7 billion turnover in 2018.)
• Number of locations: 970 restaurants.
• Number of employees: ~100,000.

What casual positions do McDonald's offer?

1. Front Counter Attendant

Leave a good impression at the front counter by meeting and interacting with hundreds of people every day. This entry-level position doesn’t require any experience, but does demand a happy and friendly attitude. Your task is to have the customer walk away with a smile on their face.

2. Host

Tasked with providing personalised, high-level service, the host delivers meals, checks on customers and helps out at the kiosk. Again, a friendly and helpful attitude is all you’ll need to bring to the table.

3. Kitchen Team Member

Finding themselves in the heart of the action, kitchen team members work together to create the trademark deliciousness that Macca’s is known for. You’ll be asked to create a wide range of products, and do so with quality front of mind. No experience is necessary, but an eye for detail and good management skills are.

4. McCafe Team Member

Looking to cut your teeth as a barista? McCafe is the perfect place to do so, offering workers full training in creating the perfect cup of coffee. McCafe team members will also be dealing directly with customers, so you’ll need to be able to make hot and cold drinks while offering excellent customer service.

5. Party Host

Perhaps the most enjoyable role in any McDonald’s restaurant, the party host is charged with making every child’s birthday their most memorable yet! You’ll be asked to serve up not just meals, but games and entertainment too. Imagination and a sense of fun are a must.

6. Drive-Thru Attendant

Much like the front counter role, but faster paced and featuring a cool headset, this worker must take orders, deliver food, and keep the drive-thru running like a well-oiled machine.

7. Delivery Driver

Delivery drivers will need to bring their own car, a set of (green) P plates, and an excellent driving record to this role, which sees you delivering bags of deliciousness all over town.

How do I get a job at McDonald's?

McDonald's posts open roles on its own careers site, McDonald’s Careers. Here you’ll find an up-to-date list of vacant positions, and you can apply right there on the site. There’s even a ‘Macca’s & Me’ quiz that helps to identify which role will best suit you!

Fast food is a business that doesn’t experience much fluctuation through the year, so McDonald's doesn’t really have any peak hiring periods. It does however rely on student workers, so demand for talent can rise when school is in session.

What is the average pay for a McDonald's casual worker?

According to PayScale, the average hourly pay at McDonald's is $16.92 an hour. This reflects the entry-level roles that the restaurant offers, and the young people that inevitably fill them.

McDonald's generally pays the government award rate, which fluctuates depending on a worker’s age, role and working hours. As of June 2020 the award rate for a part-time 15-year-old fast food worker was $8.56 per hour, while the rate for a 21-year-old casual was $26.76. 

You can calculate your award rate using the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay Calculator.

The perks of working at McDonald's

There are a number of perks that McDonald's offers its employees, including:

1. Full on-site training and career progression opportunities
2. A 50% discount on a meal before, during or after each shift
3. A myBENEFITS membership, granting access to online discounts with over 300 retailers
4. Flexible shifts and work hours

How old do you have to be to work at McDonalds?

Generally, McDonalds will employ staff from the age of 15. However, check with the official McDonalds website for their latest employment guidelines and hiring age.