How to Read a FIFO Roster: 8/6, 5/2, 2/1 and What They Actually Mean

If you're new to fly-in fly-out work, the first thing that trips people up isn't the job itself — it's the shorthand. Every ad seems to list a roster pattern like "8/6" or "2/1" as if it's obvious, and if nobody's explained it to you yet, it's easy to accept a role without really understanding what your year is going to look like.

Here's the plain-English version.

The basic format

A roster pattern is written as days on-site / days off. So:

• 8/6 means 8 days working on-site, followed by 6 days off at home.
• 5/2 means 5 days on, 2 days off — closer to a normal working week, common for residential and DIDO roles.
• 2/1 means 2 weeks on, 1 week off (when you see larger numbers like this, they're almost always weeks, not days — context and the job ad description will usually confirm which).

Some ads combine two patterns, like "8/6, 7/7" — this usually means the employer runs both rosters across different crews or sites, or that the pattern flexes seasonally. Worth asking about at interview.

Why rosters vary so much

Roster length is mostly driven by how far the site is from where workers live, and how expensive it is to fly people in and out.

• Remote sites (deep Pilbara, Goldfields, outback SA) tend to run longer rosters like 8/6 or 2/1, because getting a charter flight there isn't cheap, and employers want to minimise how often they're doing it.
• Sites closer to a regional town or capital city can afford shorter, more frequent rosters like 5/2 or even 4/3, since travel is quicker and cheaper.
• Residential roles — where you live in town near the site rather than flying in — often run standard 5/2 weeks, similar to any other job.

What your days off actually cost you

The number that matters most isn't the roster pattern itself, it's the ratio of days on to days off, because that's what determines how much of your life is actually yours.

• 8/6 gives you 6 days off after 8 on — a fairer split than it might look at first glance.
• 2/1 (two weeks on, one week off) means your "week off" is really your only real break in three weeks. It suits people who want long, uninterrupted downtime and don't mind long stretches away.
• 5/2 is the gentlest on family life and routine, but usually pairs with roles that are closer to home anyway, so you may not get the same FIFO-specific allowances.

If you've got kids, a partner, or commitments back home, it's worth actually mapping out a roster on a calendar before you accept a role. Six days off sounds like a lot until you realise two of them disappear to travel and recovery.

Travel days: on the roster or not?

This is the detail that catches people out. Ask directly: are travel days counted as rostered days, or as part of your time off?

Some employers fly you out early on your first "on" day and fly you home on the evening of your last, so travel eats into work time, not personal time. Others expect you at site the night before your swing starts, which quietly extends your "on" period without it showing up in the roster pattern. Either is normal — but you want to know which one you're signing up for.

A quick reference

• 5/2 — 5 days on, 2 off — typical for residential, DIDO, sites near town
• 8/6 — 8 days on, 6 off — typical for mid-distance FIFO
• 9/5 — 9 days on, 5 off — similar to 8/6, slightly longer swing
• 2/1 — 2 weeks on, 1 week off — typical for remote FIFO, longer charter flights
• 4/3 — 4 days on, 3 off — typical for shorter-cycle FIFO or DIDO

None of these patterns are objectively "better" — it comes down to what fits your life, your travel tolerance, and how you personally recover between swings. If you're comparing two offers with different rosters, it's worth working out the actual number of days off per year for each (not just the ratio) before you decide.