Aquaculture Worker
Aquaculture workers breed, feed and harvest fish, shellfish and seaweed on farms in coastal and inland waters.
- Median salary*
- $65,000
3.8%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 1,000
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +18%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 46/wk
+6h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- In shortage (regional)
national
Aquaculture workers look after stock in tanks, ponds, cages and longlines, and the job sits closer to farming than to fishing because the animals stay in place while you manage their food, water and health through to harvest. Sites range from hatcheries and inland ponds to sea cages and shellfish leases, and most work is on commercial farms, with some in government hatcheries and research facilities. Shift times follow the stock rather than the clock, so feeding and water checks often begin before sunrise.
How much do aquaculture workers earn?
The median full-time salary for an aquaculture worker is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,500 since 2018.
Pay follows the aquaculture award or an enterprise agreement, and the biggest differences come from the role and the site: managers, and workers holding dive or vessel qualifications, earn well above entry level. Shift rosters, weekend and public holiday penalties, and the length of a harvest season lift weekly earnings, while smaller family operations may pay less than large-scale producers.
What does an aquaculture worker do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Feeding stock by hand or through automated feeders, and checking that fish and shellfish are eating
- Testing water quality for oxygen, temperature, salinity and ammonia, then adjusting pumps, aerators or water flow
- Cleaning tanks, cages, nets and pumps, and carrying out routine maintenance around the site
- Grading, harvesting and packing stock for transport, often to a schedule set by buyers
- Recording growth rates, stock numbers and deaths in a log or farm management system, so the next feeding and treatment decisions have something to work from
What skills do aquaculture workers need?
Employers look for operations management, plant and equipment operation, animal care and handling, backed by Water quality monitoring probes (YSI, Hach) fluency and strong safety and compliance awareness.
Specialist skills
- Operations management
- Plant and equipment operation
- Animal care and handling
- Environmental assessment
Software and tools
- Water quality monitoring probes (YSI, Hach)
- Aquaculture management software (e.g., AquaManager)
- Feed management systems
- Fish counters and graders
- Boat and crane equipment
General skills
- Safety and compliance awareness
- Physical stamina and dexterity
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 1,000 people work as aquaculture workers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 18% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become an aquaculture worker?
Here's the path most aquaculture workers take, step by step.
- 1Start with a job on a farm
Most people enter as a farm hand or hatchery assistant, and no formal qualification is needed to begin. Employers look for reliability, comfort in and around water, and a willingness to work outdoors in any weather.
- 2Complete a Certificate II or III in Aquaculture
TAFE and some registered training organisations offer these, and many workers study part time while employed. A Certificate III covers stock health, water quality and feeding, and it is the qualification most often asked for in supervisory roles.
- 3Add the licences your site needs
Boat handling, a Coxswain certificate for operating a vessel, forklift and chemical handling licences are common requirements, and the rules differ between states and territories. If the work involves diving, you need a commercial dive qualification rather than a recreational one.
- 4Build experience across species and systems
Moving between hatchery, grow-out and harvest work widens what you can do and is how people get ready for a farm manager role. Some go on to a diploma or degree in aquaculture for hatchery management, research or policy work.
Study routes we have checked
Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.
- Certificate II in Aquaculture
A recognised route into this role
Entry-level aquaculture duties under supervision; comply with workplace biosecurity and safety requirements.
- Certificate III in Aquaculture
A recognised route into this role
Aquatic-stock care and monitoring. Diving, vessel operation and licensed elective activities require their own authorisations.
Ready to apply as an aquaculture worker?
Whether you're working toward becoming an aquaculture worker or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an aquaculture worker move to?
Moving into Abalone Diver typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $31,200 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abalone Diver Aquaculture workers with diving tickets move into abalone collection, transferring marine harvest and underwater work skills. | +$31,200 | 81% | short course |
| Deckhand Aquaculture workers move to deckhand roles, using vessel and sea safety experience with maritime certification.Known move | +$24,400 | 26% | reskill |
| Aquaculture Farmer Aquaculture workers move into farm management, building on stock, feeding and harvest skills with extra business and planning training.Known move | +$16,100 | 48% | short course |
| Agricultural Machinery Operator Aquaculture workers move into machinery operation, applying site and equipment familiarity with formal training in safe farm machinery use.Known move | +$10,400 | 29% | reskill |
| Fishing Hand Aquaculture workers move to commercial fishing, carrying sea handling and stock care into catch work with fishing tickets.Known move | +$1,600 | 19% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as an aquaculture worker?
The typical aquaculture worker is 45 years old; 76% are men, 72% work full-time, and full-timers average 46 hours a week.
- 45
- Median age
- 24%
- Female share
- 72%
- Full-time
- +6h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an aquaculture worker?
The work runs to the rhythm of the stock: feeding, water checks and harvests happen on a fixed schedule whatever the weather is doing. Days are physical and mostly outdoors, with early starts, some weekend and public holiday rosters, and long hours through harvest season. It suits people who like working with animals and machinery near the water and who notice small changes and act on them.
What people like
- Working outdoors and near water. Sites sit on coastlines, rivers and inland ponds, and most of the day is spent outside rather than at a desk.
- Seeing stock grow. Fish and shellfish move through predictable stages, so the effect of good feeding and water management shows up within weeks.
- Varied practical work. A week can include feeding, net cleaning, grading, boat work and equipment repairs, so the job rarely sits in one task.
- Training paid for on the job. Employers often fund certificates and licences for workers who stay, and experienced hands move into supervisor and manager roles.
What people find hard
- Weather and water set the day. Storms, algal blooms and temperature swings can force a change of plan or an unplanned harvest at short notice.
- Early starts and weekend rosters. Feeding begins at first light and stock does not take public holidays off, so rosters rotate through weekends.
- Physical and repetitive work. Feeding, grading and cleaning involve heavy lifting, wet clothing and long stretches on your feet or in a boat.
- Stock losses happen. Disease, low oxygen and equipment failure can kill a lot of stock quickly, which means long days and hard decisions about culling.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ aquaculture workers?
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing employs the largest share of aquaculture workers, followed by Public Administration and Safety.
Top employing industries
- 1Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
- 2Public Administration and Safety
- 3Wholesale Trade
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Year 12 or below | 53% | |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate III/IV | 23.2% | |
| Bachelor degree | 8.5% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 5.9% | |
| Postgraduate | 4% |
Will AI replace aquaculture workers?
Aquaculture has taken on a lot of monitoring technology, but it remains a job of handling animals, so exposure overall is moderate. Probes log oxygen, temperature and salinity, automatic feeders run to a schedule, and farm software records growth and mortality, which changes how information is collected rather than who acts on it.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Feeding and stock checksAutomatic feeders and appetite sensors cover routine feeding on larger sites, but someone still has to walk the cages or tanks and notice stock that is off its feed.30%moderate
- Harvesting, grading and packingPumps and graders speed up the work, but lifting, sorting and packing stock to a buyer's size specification still needs people on deck or on the line.30%low
- Water quality monitoringProbes log oxygen, temperature and salinity continuously and raise alarms, so the job shifts towards responding to readings and keeping the sensors clean and calibrated.25%moderate
- Records and stock planningFarm management systems pull feed, growth and mortality data together automatically, and the worker's role becomes checking the numbers and flagging anything that looks wrong.15%high
Moves least exposed to AI
These career moves from aquaculture worker work are rated low for AI exposure:
- Abalone Diver
High skill overlap (81%), short course to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Fishing Hand
Some skill overlap (19%), reskill to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Deckhand
Some skill overlap (26%), reskill to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
Common questions about becoming an aquaculture worker
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do aquaculture workers earn?
The median full-time pay is $65,000 per year before tax, and entry-level farm hand work generally sits below that figure. What you earn depends on the award or enterprise agreement at your site, your roster, and whether you hold extra qualifications such as a Coxswain certificate or a commercial dive qualification.
How do you become an aquaculture worker?
Most people start as a farm hand or hatchery assistant and learn on the job, with no formal qualification required. A Certificate II or III in Aquaculture helps for permanent and supervisory roles, and licences such as boat handling, forklift or a Coxswain certificate are often needed for particular tasks.
Are aquaculture workers in demand?
Aquaculture workers are currently in shortage in regional areas, and employment is projected to grow 18% over the decade to 2035. Farms sit in regional and coastal areas, so most openings are outside the cities and being able to live near a site helps.
Will AI or automation replace aquaculture workers?
Parts of the job are already automated: probes track oxygen and temperature continuously, feeders run to a schedule, and farm software logs growth and mortality data that used to be kept on paper. Handling, grading and harvesting stock still need people on site, along with the judgement calls about animal health and when to intervene.
What jobs can an aquaculture worker move into?
Farm management is the next step for many, and aquaculture farmer roles pay $16,100 more once stock and harvest experience is paired with business and planning training; from there, owning or share-farming a lease is often where earnings grow. Workers with a commercial dive qualification can move into abalone diving, where the underwater harvest work overlaps closely and pay is $31,200 more. Others move onto boats as deckhands, adding maritime certification as they go.
What hours do aquaculture workers work?
Full-time workers average 46 hours a week, and early starts are normal because feeding begins at first light. Rosters rotate through weekends and public holidays, and weeks get longer during harvest.
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