FIFO Roster Calculator
The FIFO Roster Calculator turns a 'days on / days off' swing pattern into yearly totals so you can see, at a glance, how much of the year a roster actually keeps you on site. Enter your days on, days off and shift length, and it works out the cycle length, how many swings you fly in a year, and the days worked, days at home and hours worked those add up to — the numbers that really separate one FIFO roster from another.
Enter Values
How to use this calculator
- Enter the number of days on per swing (e.g. 8 for an 8:6, or 14 for a 2-week block).
- Enter the number of days off per swing (e.g. 6, or 14 for even time).
- Set the hours per shift if it isn't the default 12, then read the cycle length, swings per year, days worked, days at home, hours worked and the on-to-off ratio.
How it works
The cycle length is simply days on plus days off. Dividing 365 by the cycle gives the number of swings in a year. Days worked per year is days on multiplied by those swings, days at home per year is days off multiplied by them, and hours worked per year is the days worked multiplied by the hours per shift. The roster ratio expresses the same swing as days on for every day off. For an 8:6 on 12-hour shifts: cycle 14 days, 365 / 14 = 26.0714 swings, 8 x 26.0714 = 208.5714 days worked, and 208.5714 x 12 = 2,502.86 hours a year.
Worked example
Worked example. An 8-on / 6-off roster on 12-hour shifts runs a 14-day cycle. That is 365 / 14 = 26.0714 swings a year, giving 208.5714 days worked, 156.4286 days at home and about 2,502.86 rostered hours — with a ratio of 1.3333 days on for every day off.
Common mistakes
- Reading the yearly totals as exact — a real year never divides cleanly into whole swings, and travel days, leave, RDOs and public holidays all shift the real figure.
- Comparing rosters on days off alone: a 2:1 block and an 8:6 can feel different day to day even when the ratio is similar, so check days worked as well.
- Forgetting that hours worked per year uses paid shift length — enter the actual rostered hours, not the total time away from home.
Frequently asked questions
Does this account for travel days and leave?
No. It models the raw swing repeating across 365 days. Travel days, annual leave, RDOs, sick days and public holidays will all reduce the real days worked, so treat the output as a planning guide rather than a payroll number.
Which roster gives the most time at home?
The higher the days-off share, the more days at home per year. Even-time rosters (like 14:14 or 8:8) sit near a 1.0 ratio, while blocks like 2:1 (14:7) or 8:6 keep you on site more of the year.
Related tools
- Shift Length Calculator
- Night Shift Recovery Calculator
- Hourly Rate to Annual FIFO Salary Calculator
- Fatigue Break Calculator
- FIFO Pack Weight Calculator
- Site Allowance Calculator
Explore more in Time, Date, Roster & FIFO.
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
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