Agriculture courses
Want to work in agriculture? These courses all start at certificate level, and each one prepares you for a different job: general farm work, beekeeping, weed and pest control, or shearing. Here's what each leads to and how it's studied.
- Quickest way to start
- 1 year
- Certificate III, full time at TAFE NSW
- TAFE cost from
- $1,120
- subsidised Certificate II, TAFE NSW
- What the jobs pay
- $62,400 to $75,400
- median pay across 6 jobs, some estimated
- Demand
- 2 of 6 jobs
- are on the national shortage list
Which course do you need?
It depends on the job you want.
Certificate III in Agriculture
Start work on a farm
Operate tractors and machinery and handle livestock and crops on a mixed farm, often working on your own.
JobAgricultural Machinery Operator
Median pay$75,400 (estimate)
- How long it takes
- 12 to 18 months full time at TAFE NSW
- What it costs
- $2,190 at TAFE NSW if you're eligible for a subsidised place, or $11,740 full fee
- How you'll study
- Online, on campus or on the job
Certificate III in Beekeeping
Keep bees and run hives
Open and reassemble hives, manage and re-queen colonies, move them for pollination work and extract honey.
JobBeekeeper
Median pay$62,400 (estimate)
- How long it takes
- Typically 1 to 2 years
Certificate III in Rural and Environmental Pest Management
Control weeds and pests
Identify what is damaging the land, choose a control method, then spray, trap and record what you did.
Median pay$75,400 (estimate)
- How long it takes
- Typically 1 to 2 years
- How you'll study
- Online or on campus
Certificate III in Shearing
Shear sheep at professional pace
Work through a day in the shed with a shearing team, keeping fleeces clean and animals calm while you build speed.
JobShearer
Median pay$64,500 (estimate)
- How long it takes
- Typically 1 to 2 years
- How you'll study
- On the job
How much it costs at TAFE
If you're eligible for a government-subsidised place, you pay much less than the full fee, and in some states these courses can be free. Here's what each TAFE lists.
| TAFE | State | Certificate II in Agriculture | Certificate III in Agriculture | Certificate III in Wine Industry Operations | Certificate IV in Agriculture | Diploma of Agriculture | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subsidised | Full fee | Subsidised | Full fee | Subsidised | Full fee | Subsidised | Full fee | Subsidised | Full fee | ||
| TAFE NSW | NSW | $1,120 | $7,500 | $2,190 | $11,740 | $2,190 | $12,780 | $2,770 | $12,320 | Not listed | Not listed |
| GOTAFE | VIC | $2,349 | $6,939 | $3,920 | $14,210 | Not listed | Not listed | $4,440 | $16,095 | Not listed | Not listed |
| TAFE Queensland | QLD | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | $5,070 | $7,870 |
TAFE NSWNSW
- Certificate II in Agriculture
- $1,120 subsidised
- $7,500 full fee
- Certificate III in Agriculture
- $2,190 subsidised
- $11,740 full fee
- Certificate III in Wine Industry Operations
- $2,190 subsidised
- $12,780 full fee
- Certificate IV in Agriculture
- $2,770 subsidised
- $12,320 full fee
- Diploma of Agriculture
- Not listed
GOTAFEVIC
- Certificate II in Agriculture
- $2,349 subsidised
- $6,939 full fee
- Certificate III in Agriculture
- $3,920 subsidised
- $14,210 full fee
- Certificate III in Wine Industry Operations
- Not listed
- Certificate IV in Agriculture
- $4,440 subsidised
- $16,095 full fee
- Diploma of Agriculture
- Not listed
TAFE QueenslandQLD
- Certificate II in Agriculture
- Not listed
- Certificate III in Agriculture
- Not listed
- Certificate III in Wine Industry Operations
- Not listed
- Certificate IV in Agriculture
- Not listed
- Diploma of Agriculture
- $5,070 subsidised
- $7,870 full fee
Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, checked 20 September 2026. “Not listed” means the TAFE doesn't show that fee online. Private colleges set their own fees.
Other university courses
- Bachelor of Agriculture3 years. A degree in growing food and fibre, leading towards advisory, production management and agribusiness roles.
Can help with: dairy farmer, deer farmer, farmer
- Bachelor of Agribusiness3 years. Follows food and fibre from the farm to the consumer, through economics, finance and marketing. For business roles connected to agriculture.
Can help with: beef cattle farmer, farmer, grain grower
- Bachelor of Agricultural Science3 to 4 years. Applies science to crops, livestock and soils, with field work and placements built in.
Can help with: beef cattle farmer, cotton grower, farmer
- Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences3 years. Treats farming as a science and a business, covering crops, animals and soil health.
Can help with: flower grower, nut grower, orchardist
- Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness)2 to 3 years. A business degree with an agribusiness focus, leading towards management, marketing and finance roles in primary production and food.
Can help with: cotton grower
- Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology4 years. Teaches how wine grapes are grown and how wine is made, with a placement in a vineyard and a working winery.
Can help with: viticulturist, distiller
Other certificates and diplomas
- Certificate II in Agriculture1 year. A starting point for farm work with no experience needed. Suits school students and people moving into agriculture for the first time.
Can help with: farm worker, fruit picker, station hand
- Certificate III in Pork Production1 to 2 years. For work on a piggery, covering daily animal care, herd health and the biosecurity rules that keep disease out.
- Certificate III in Poultry Production1 to 2 years. Trains you for skilled work on a poultry farm, hatchery or egg grading floor, where you take charge of your own tasks.
Can help with: poultry farmer
- Certificate III in Wine Industry Operations2 years. Hands-on training for the cellar, bottling line or cellar door, tailored to the part of the wine industry you want to work in.
Can help with: sommelier, vineyard worker, viticulturist
- Certificate III in Wool Clip Preparation1 to 2 years. For owner classers who judge a clip from the shearing board to the pressed bale, and meets the training requirement for registration with AWEX Ltd.
- Certificate IV in Agribusiness6 to 24 months. For the business side of a farm: production figures, financial records and safety processes, often taken when you start supervising.
Can help with: beef cattle farmer, cotton grower, deer farmer
- Certificate IV in Agriculture1 year. For people already working in agriculture who want to supervise a team and take on safety, sustainability and planning.
- Diploma of Agriculture1 to 2 years. For experienced farm workers moving into management or advisory work, focused on running a property rather than basic farm skills.
Can help with: farmer
Jobs you can do with this study
Pay is the median for everyone in the job, not a starting salary.
- Agricultural Machinery OperatorWhat you needCertificate IIIMedian pay$75,400 (estimate)
- BeekeeperWhat you needCertificate IIIMedian pay$62,400 (estimate)
- Weeds OfficerWhat you needCertificate IIIMedian pay$75,400 (estimate)
- ShearerWhat you needCertificate IIIMedian pay$64,500 (estimate)In demand
Cellar HandWhat you needCertificate IIIMedian pay$65,000 (estimate)In demand
Wool ClasserWhat you needCertificate III, then further trainingMedian pay$72,800 (estimate)
“In demand” means the job is on the national skills shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure. Check the course and provider are approved for the work you want, as rules differ by state.
Still not sure which one fits you?
Answer a few quick questions about your time, state and budget, and we'll show the courses that suit you.