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Farmhand

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A Farmhand performs varied tasks like feeding livestock, operating machinery, maintaining equipment, and assisting with crop care in all weather.

  • This role has a low level of AI exposure. Core skills such as adaptability, social intelligence, and complex physical tasks remain beyond the capabilities of current AI.
AI exposure data adapted from Felten, Raj & Seamans (2021). Shortage data sourced from Jobs and Skills Australia (2024).

How do I become a farmhand

Get qualified to work as a farmhand with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.

Related career opportunities

Browse occupations related to Farmhand.

Common questions

In Australia, a full time Farmhand generally earns $1,346 per week ($69,992 annual salary) before tax. This is a median figure for full-time employees and should be considered a guide only. As you gain more experience you can expect a potentially higher salary than people who are new to the industry.

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There are currently 108,500 people employed as farm workers in Australia and this number is expected to rise slightly in the next five years. Work can be found across all states of Australia, but mostly in rural or regional areas.

Source: The Labour Market Information Portal – 2019 Occupation Projections

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If you’re thinking of becoming a Farmhand, a Certificate II or III in Rural Operations is a good place to start. You could also consider the Certificate II or III in Agriculture. You’ll learn all the skills you need to work safely in a range of farming sectors.

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Further reading

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Farmhand careers

Farmhands assist with the daily work on farms including looking after livestock and tending to crops. You’ll help out with a range of tasks to keep the farm operating and your typical day will probably vary depending on the time of year. Your daily work will depend on the type of farm you’re working on but it might involve things like operating farm machinery, putting up fencing, doing repair work around the farm or feeding livestock. You might be involved in irrigating, fertilising or harvesting crops, moving animals to different areas of the farm, fixing and maintaining equipment or looking after the health of livestock.

Being a Farmhand is a very physical job. You’ll work hard and probably have long days in all sorts of weather conditions. You’ll need to like being outdoors and be able to handle manual labour and heavy lifting. You’ll need to be skilled in operating a range of farm machinery and be very comfortable working with animals.