Home Farm Worker Salary
Farm Worker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a farm worker is $49,300 per annum, before tax, up $10,300 since 2018.
Pay usually follows the Horticulture Award or the Pastoral Award, so whether you are permanent, casual or seasonal changes your hourly rate and whether penalty rates and overtime apply. Some properties pay by the bin or tonne during harvest rather than by the hour, and accommodation or meals can form part of the arrangement. Machinery skills, chemical accreditation and livestock experience are the usual ways onto higher duties and a better rate.
Roles that pay more than farm worker
The largest typical pay rise is $28,700 a year, moving into Poultry Farmer.
- Poultry Farmer+$28,700/yr
- Agricultural Machinery Operator+$26,100/yr
- Orchardist+$23,500/yr
How to negotiate a higher farm worker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time farm worker salary is $49,300; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Farm Workers 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 Hand and power tool work and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general farm worker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Poultry Farmer pays a typical $28,700 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."
Farm Worker salary questions
How much do farm workers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a farm worker is $49,300 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is farm worker pay rising or falling?
The median farm worker salary is up $10,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than farm worker?
Poultry Farmer pays a typical $28,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to farm worker.