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Animal Husbandry Technician salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an animal husbandry technician is $62,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,000 since 2018.
On-farm livestock work is covered by the Pastoral Award for most employers, which sets minimum rates for ordinary hours and higher rates for overtime and public holidays. What you take home depends on whether the position is full time, casual or seasonal, and on whether the farm provides housing, a vehicle or other allowances as part of the package. Responsibility moves pay more than length of service: technicians who run herd health programs, breeding records or a poultry shed on their own sit above the entry rate.
Roles that pay more than animal husbandry technician
The largest typical pay rise is $15,600 a year, moving into Animal Health Officer.
- Animal Health Officer+$15,600/yr
- Zookeeper+$4,000/yr
- Aquaculture Worker+$2,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher animal husbandry technician salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time animal husbandry technician salary is $62,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Animal Husbandry Technicians are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, 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 Animal care and handling and Operations management tend to command a premium over general animal husbandry technician experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Animal Health Officer pays a typical $15,600 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."
Animal Husbandry Technician salary questions
How much do animal husbandry technicians earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an animal husbandry technician is $62,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is animal husbandry technician pay rising or falling?
The median animal husbandry technician salary is up $13,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than animal husbandry technician?
Animal Health Officer pays a typical $15,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to animal husbandry technician.