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Product Grader salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a product grader is $59,800 per annum, before tax, up $12,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends heavily on the award or enterprise agreement covering the plant, so a meatworks running shifts with penalty rates can pay well above a seasonal packing shed.
- Graders who hold accreditation or supervise a line usually earn more than those doing entry-level sorting, and some sites pay loadings for afternoon or night work.
- Fruit and vegetable grading follows the harvest, which affects annual earnings even when the hourly rate is similar.
The median salary rose by $12,600 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 product grader
The largest typical pay rise is $26,000 a year, moving into Wool Buyer.
- Wool Buyer+$26,000/yr
- Wool Classer+$13,000/yr
- Grain Inspector+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher product grader salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time product grader salary is $59,800; 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 Food safety and hygiene and Operations management tend to command a premium over general product grader experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Wool Buyer pays a typical $26,000 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."
Product Grader salary questions
How much do product graders earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a product grader is $59,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is product grader pay rising or falling?
The median product grader salary is up $12,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than product grader?
Wool Buyer pays a typical $26,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to product grader.
Related salaries
- Grain Inspector salary
- Wool Classer salary
- Wool Buyer salary
- Fruit and Vegetable Packer salary
- Farm Worker salary
- Fruit Picker 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.