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Fruit Picker salary in Australia

The median full-time salary for a fruit picker is $49,900 per annum, before tax, up $10,700 since 2018.

• The award that covers most picking work sets minimum hourly rates and allows piece rates, where you are paid by the bin or kilogram rather than by the hour, provided the piece rate matches what an hourly worker would earn.
• Casual loadings, how long the season runs and how much fruit is ready on a given day all affect what lands in your bank account, so weekly earnings can swing a lot.
• Across a year, income depends as much on how many weeks of harvest work you string together as on the rate itself.

Roles that pay more than fruit picker

The largest typical pay rise is $25,500 a year, moving into Agricultural Machinery Operator.

• Agricultural Machinery Operator+$25,500/yr
• Vineyard Worker+$9,900/yr
• Product Grader+$9,900/yr

How to negotiate a higher fruit picker salary

• Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time fruit picker salary is $49,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
• Use demand as leverage. Fruit Pickers 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 fruit picker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
• Bring a real alternative to the table. Agricultural Machinery Operator pays a typical $25,500 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."

Fruit Picker salary questions

Related salaries

• Vineyard Worker salary
• Farm Worker salary
• Station Hand salary
• Product Grader salary
• Agricultural Machinery Operator salary
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