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Fishing Hand salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a fishing hand is $66,600 per annum, before tax, up $14,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Crew pay varies with the vessel, the fishery and the season, and many fishing hands are paid a share of the catch rather than a flat wage, so a poor season shows up directly in the pay packet.
- The size of the boat, the length of trips and the licences a hand holds all make a difference.
- Earnings also depend on days actually spent at sea, which the weather can cut short at little notice.
The median salary rose by $14,000 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 fishing hand
The largest typical pay rise is $108,400 a year, moving into Ship Captain.
- Ship Captain+$108,400/yr
- Fishing Skipper+$27,000/yr
- Deckhand+$22,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher fishing hand salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time fishing hand salary is $66,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Plant and equipment operation and Food safety and hygiene tend to command a premium over general fishing hand experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Ship Captain pays a typical $108,400 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."
Fishing Hand salary questions
How much do fishing hands earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a fishing hand is $66,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is fishing hand pay rising or falling?
The median fishing hand salary is up $14,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than fishing hand?
Ship Captain pays a typical $108,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to fishing hand.
Related salaries
- Deckhand salary
- Fishing Skipper salary
- Process Worker salary
- Aquaculture Worker salary
- Ship Captain salary
- Seafood Process Worker 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.