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Nursery Hand salary in Australia

The median full-time salary for a nursery hand is $57,200 per annum, before tax, up $11,900 since 2018.

• Most nursery hands are paid under the Horticulture Award, so the casual loading, weekend watering rosters and public holiday shifts make a real difference to what lands in your account each week.
• Moving up the classification levels comes with taking on propagation, spray programs or dispatch and forklift duties, and larger wholesale nurseries often pay above the award minimum.
• Hours also swing with the season, so a quiet winter month can look very different from the weeks before spring.

Roles that pay more than nursery hand

The largest typical pay rise is $19,100 a year, moving into Greenkeeper.

• Greenkeeper+$19,100/yr
• Turf Grower+$10,400/yr
• Landscaper+$7,800/yr

How to negotiate a higher nursery hand salary

• Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time nursery hand salary is $57,200; 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 Hand and power tool work and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general nursery hand experience, name them specifically when you ask.
• Bring a real alternative to the table. Greenkeeper pays a typical $19,100 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."

Nursery Hand salary questions

Related salaries

• Nurseryperson salary
• Gardener salary
• Landscaper salary
• Greenkeeper salary
• Turf Grower salary
• Farm Worker salary