Home Station Hand Salary
Station Hand salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a station hand 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 for station hands usually follows the Pastoral Award, and what a property offers on top of it varies.
- Larger and more remote stations often pay more or include accommodation and meals, while casual and seasonal mustering work can mean quieter months with fewer shifts.
- Experience with horses, machinery or stock handling is what moves you up the scale fastest.
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 station hand
The largest typical pay rise is $26,100 a year, moving into Agricultural Machinery Operator.
- Agricultural Machinery Operator+$26,100/yr
- Stock and Station Agent+$26,100/yr
- Shearer+$15,200/yr
How to negotiate a higher station hand salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time station hand salary is $49,300; 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 Animal care and handling and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general station hand experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Agricultural Machinery Operator pays a typical $26,100 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."
Station Hand salary questions
How much do station hands earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a station hand is $49,300 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is station hand pay rising or falling?
The median station hand 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 station hand?
Agricultural Machinery Operator pays a typical $26,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to station hand.
Related salaries
- Shearer salary
- Agricultural Machinery Operator salary
- Wool Handler salary
- Stock and Station Agent salary
- Beef Cattle Farmer salary
- Farm 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.