Australia’s hospitality industry runs on RSA-trained staff. Bars, restaurants, bottle shops, hotels, and events venues all need people who know how to serve alcohol responsibly and within the law. That starts with your RSA certificate.

If you serve, sell, or oversee alcohol at any licensed venue in Australia, you’re legally required to hold one. It’s based on the nationally recognised unit SITHFAB021 and once you have it, a lot of doors open up fast.

This guide covers the types of jobs you can get with an RSA certificate, what they pay, and how to work your way up in the hospitality industry.

What Kinds of Jobs Actually Require an RSA Certificate?

More than you think. Working with RSA certificates isn’t just limited to bartending jobs. Any role at a licensed venue that involves serving, selling or providing alcohol requires one.

This includes a wide range of jobs in hospitality, events, tourism and retail fields throughout Australia.

Customer Service Jobs at Licensed Venues

Jobs requiring RSA certificates involve serving drinks directly. Roles include bar staff, waiters, cocktail servers, pub or club floor staff, and hotel bar staff. Each of these jobs involves dealing directly with alcohol services and requires appropriate knowledge of RSA training.

Some tasks involve identifying signs of drunkenness before problems arise, knowing when and how to deal with requests to provide alcohol carefully, ensuring customers’ age IDs when needed, and monitoring how much customers have been drinking during their visit.

Retail Liquor Jobs

Bottleshop staff at stores such as Dan Murphy’s, BWS or independent liquor stores need an RSA certificate. Although it is less intense than working behind a bar, all retail liquor roles have legal responsibilities for providing responsible service of alcohol.

Tasks include checking IDs, managing sales to patrons who may be intoxicated and adhering to the liquor laws applicable to all licensed venues.

Events, Functions and Corporate Work

If your job involves serving alcohol at events or functions, you’ll need an RSA certificate. Roles such as event staff, banquet and function servers and corporate caterers require RSA training when serving alcohol.

These roles often come with flexible, shift-based working arrangements – offering opportunities to earn money casually or gain experience working in various environments.

What Do RSA Jobs Pay in Australia?

Hospitality work, including RSA jobs, provides varied salary options based on factors such as casual rates of pay, shift times and penalty loadings.

A large number of RSA jobs available in Australia offer casual or part-time working conditions, allowing opportunities to earn extra money with weekend, evening and public holiday loading contributions, helping to increase weekly earnings beyond basic hourly rates.

RSA Job Role	Typical Casual Rate	Weekend / PH Rate	Annual Equiv. (FT)
Bar Attendant / Bartender	$28–$35/hr	$40–$52/hr	$55,000–$65,000
Wait Staff (Licensed Venue)	$27–$33/hr	$38–$50/hr	$50,000–$62,000
Bottle Shop Attendant	$26–$32/hr	$37–$48/hr	$50,000–$60,000
Event / Functions Staff	$30–$40/hr	$42–$56/hr	$55,000–$68,000
Hotel Bar Staff	$28–$36/hr	$40–$52/hr	$57,000–$68,000
Gaming Attendant (RSA + RSG)	$27–$34/hr	$38–$50/hr	$55,000–$65,000
Venue Supervisor	$35–$45/hr	$48–$62/hr	$65,000–$78,000
Venue Manager / Licensee	Salary-based	N/A	$75,000–$100,000+

 

Rates are based on the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 and will vary depending on the employer, venue, and any workplace agreements in place. Casual workers can earn significantly more through weekend and public holiday penalty rates.

 

The Most Popular RSA Jobs in Australia

If you are new to the hospitality industry or want to obtain your RSA license for the first time, these jobs are where most people start their careers.

Most of them do not require any prior experience. All you need is a current RSA certificate and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Bar Attendant

Working behind the bar is the most common job for RSA- holders in Australia. As a bar attendant, you will be taking drinks orders, serving beer and creating simple cocktails, dealing with money, making EFTPOS transactions and ensuring the bar is adequately stocked and clean throughout operating hours.

An important part of being a bar attendant is observing what is going on in the venue. You will be trained to identify signs of intoxication, know when to report concerns to a senior member of staff, and politely deny service without creating a scene.

Skills that you will develop quickly through your job experience. Experience is recommended, but not always necessary, to get your foot in the door with your first job.

Wait Staff at Licensed Restaurants

Restaurants with liquor licenses require RSA-trained waiters and waitresses. As a waiter or waitress, you will take drink orders, provide information about the wine list, deliver drinks to tables and monitor how much patrons are drinking during trading hours. 

Apart from the above-mentioned task related to alcohol, your role will involve a range of non-alcoholic tasks, such as delivering food, managing tables, and processing payments, with your knowledge of RSA principles always in the background as you serve drinks and manage requests for additional rounds of drinks.

Bottle Shop Attendant

Although working in a bottle shop provides a quieter environment compared to working behind a bar, you still have important RSA obligations.

Bottle shop attendants are responsible for checking the ID of customers, providing details about the products available (wine, spirits, craft beers), processing sales and keeping track of inventory levels.

Event and Functions Work

Event work is one of the better-paying RSA jobs, with casual rates typically sitting between $30-$40/hr and penalty rates pushing that higher on weekends and public holidays.

One week you could be serving wine at a corporate gala, the next you’re behind a beer tent at a music festival. The variety keeps it interesting and builds a solid range of experience on your resume fast.

Signing up with a few event staffing agencies is a smart move. They’ll match you to shifts based on your availability, and work tends to be plentiful over summer and during major events.

Gaming Attendant: RSA + RSG

At venues with gaming facilities such as pubs and clubs, the floor staff require both RSA and RSG certification. As a Gaming Attendant, you’ll deal with gaming machines, process winnings, provide drinks to customers playing in the designated gaming areas and identify any signs of problem gambling behaviors.

Having RSG training increases your chances of getting a job at clubs and RSLs, as they provide many employment opportunities for hospitality professionals throughout Australia.

RSG training involves online study that is much like the RSA; holding both RSA and RSG certifications can be achieved through combined study sessions.

Supervisory and Venue Management Jobs

After 2-4 years of experience as floor staff, moving into a supervisory role can be a great career move.

Supervisors supervise staff, manage good service standards, deal with customer complaints and ensure good practice when providing safe drinking options. Venue Managers and Licensees have important responsibilities, including creating rosters and building relationships with suppliers, as well as ensuring that all liquor licenses required by law are complied with.

As these roles involve a high level of responsibility, if there is an issue related to serving alcohol at any of our licensed venues, the Manager or Licence Holder will be held accountable. Strong RSA skills are important at the management level because they contribute to creating a safe and enjoyable experience for customers.

How to Find RSA Jobs in Australia

Once you have obtained your RSA Certificate, you can begin your job search immediately. Hospitality job availability changes quickly. Many venues require employees quickly and do not create job postings. Here’s how to find a job with an RSA job.

Online Job Boards

Seek, Indeed, and Jora are the main places to start. Search terms like “bar attendant,” “RSA required,” or “casual hospitality” alongside your city will pull up plenty of options.

Having your RSA means you won’t get filtered out at the first step. A lot of applications get declined simply because the person isn’t certified yet.

Direct Applications and Walk-Ins

Don’t underestimate showing up in person. Hospitality moves fast and venues often hire casually without posting a job ad. Print a few resumes, grab your RSA certificate, and walk into the places you’d actually want to work.

Whether that’s a wine bar, a hotel, a nightclub, or a function venue. It shows initiative, and that counts for a lot in this industry.

Staffing Agencies and Hospitality Groups

Signing up with a hospitality staffing agency is one of the easiest ways to get consistent work without hunting for shifts yourself.

Agencies across most major Australian cities specialise in placing RSA-trained staff into events, venues, and hotels on a casual or part-time basis. Register with two or three and let the work come to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

I don’t have any prior experience in hospitality, can I get an RSA job?

Yes. Several types of RSA jobs, including bar attendant, bottle shop salesperson, wait staff, and event personnel, provide a great opportunity to enter the hospitality industry.

Possession of an RSA certificate is the main necessity to apply for these roles. Although experience is preferred in fast-paced environments, it’s not mandatory. Many cafes and restaurants offer casual roles with minimal requirements.

Do I need both RSA and RSG to work in gaming venues?

Yes, in most states of Australia, including those with licensed hotels and clubs that have Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs), bar and club floor staff dealing with EGM areas require both RSA and RSG (Responsible Service of Gambling) Certificates.

RSG is a short course similar to RSA, which can be done online from approved training providers, on the same day as obtaining the RSA Certificate.

Are RSA jobs available in all Australian states and territories?

Yes, RSA jobs are available in all Australian states and territories where licensed venues operate. Although the RSA qualification is national, the requirements for obtaining and maintaining your certificate vary between states.

Check that your RSA was issued for the state where you’ll be working, and find out from your employer if there are any state specific rules you need to follow prior to commencing work.

How soon can I start working after completing my RSA?

You can start work immediately after completing your RSA course in most states. Upon successful completion of your assessment, you will receive a Statement of Attainment which employers and hotels accept as proof of qualification.

In NSW, you also receive an interim certificate on the day of completion while your photo competency card is processed by Liquor & Gaming NSW.

Enrol in a Government-Approved Online Course Today

If you’re planning to work in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa, having your tickets and certifications ready is the easiest way to stand out and land work fast. National Online Courses makes it simple:

• White Card Courses – Start work on construction sites anywhere in Australia.
• Online RSA Course Australia – Get qualified to serve alcohol in bars, pubs and restaurants.
• RSG Courses – open up jobs in gaming rooms and licensed venues.
• Online Food Safety Course Australia – work safely in cafés, kitchens and food trucks.

All courses are 100% online, nationally recognised and designed to get you job-ready quickly, no matter where you are.