What Can I Expect To Get Paid?

Most seasonal horticulture workers are hired under the Australian Government’s Horticulture Award. The award outlines minimum pay rates and other entitlements like leave and overtime.

Workers can earn an hourly wage or a piecework rate.

Hourly rates

Under the Horticulture Award, you should expect to be paid at least:

 $21.38 for an adult full-time employee

$26.73 for an adult casual employee.

Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman pay calculator for more information.

Piece rates

A piecework rate is where a worker earns money based on the amount they have picked, packed, pruned or made.

Instead of the hours worked, an employer pays the worker for the number of kilograms or bins of produce they pick.

 Growers can’t ask workers to overload buckets or pick bad produce for free.

 The piecework rate has to allow the ‘average competent employee’ to earn at least 15 per cent more per hour than the relevant minimum hourly rate in the Horticulture Award at the time the piecework agreement is entered into.

Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman’s website to find your award or find out about piecework agreements.