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.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- 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.
The median salary rose by $10,300 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 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.
Related salaries
- Agricultural Machinery Operator salary
- Farmer salary
- Orchardist salary
- Poultry Farmer salary
- Meat Process Worker salary
- Station Hand 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.