Home Agricultural Technician Salary
Agricultural Technician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an agricultural technician is $94,000 per annum, before tax, up $20,000 since 2018.
- Pay varies more by employer than by the job itself, with research organisations, government agencies and large agribusinesses typically paying above what a smaller family farm can offer.
- Remote and seasonal postings often come with a vehicle, accommodation or a loading, which can matter as much as the base rate.
- Technicians are usually on an annual salary, with overtime or time in lieu during sowing, harvest and shearing.
The median salary rose by $20,000 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than agricultural technician
The largest typical pay rise is $13,800 a year, moving into Agronomist.
- Agronomist+$13,800/yr
- Geology Technician+$2,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher agricultural technician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time agricultural technician salary is $94,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Agricultural Technicians are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Field inspection and testing and Laboratory analysis tend to command a premium over general agricultural technician experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Agronomist pays a typical $13,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Agricultural Technician salary questions
How much do agricultural technicians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an agricultural technician is $94,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is agricultural technician pay rising or falling?
The median agricultural technician salary is up $20,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than agricultural technician?
Agronomist pays a typical $13,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to agricultural technician.
Related salaries
- Agronomist salary
- Agricultural Consultant salary
- Laboratory Technician salary
- Geology Technician salary
- Agricultural Machinery Operator salary
- Beekeeper salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.