Farm hand jobs in Australia: pay, conditions, and second year visa eligibility

Farm hand roles are one of the main pathways to the 88 days of specified work needed for a second year working holiday visa, but the rules around what counts toward the 88 days, what award applies, and what pay you are entitled to are different from fruit picking.

What does farm hand work involve?

The typical farm hand role can include:

• Livestock care (feeding, drenching, mustering, calving)
• Crop planting, weeding, and harvesting (non-fruit)
• Fencing, gate repair, water trough maintenance
• Tractor and machinery operation
• General property maintenance
• Animal husbandry
• Shearing shed support work
• Hay making and storage
• Dairy work

The exact tasks depend on the type of farm: a cattle station in the Northern Territory, a wheat farm in Western Australia, a dairy farm in Victoria, and a sheep station in South Australia all need farm hands, but the work looks different on each.

What award applies?

The award depends on the principal activity of the farm:

• Pastoral Award (MA000035): livestock, broadacre cropping (wheat, barley, oats), shearing
• Horticulture Award (MA000028): fruit, vegetables, vines, tree crops
• Dairy Award (MA000026): dairy farms

A worker on a mixed-enterprise farm (livestock and crops, for example) is generally covered by the award that matches the principal activity of the business. See our article on award classifications for how to identify the right one.

What does farm hand work pay?

Pay varies by award, classification, and experience:

• Casual rates under the Pastoral Award are around $26 to $34 per hour depending on classification and the year
• Casual rates under the Horticulture Award are around $25 to $32 per hour depending on classification and the year
• Permanent or live-in arrangements often include accommodation as part of the package (which can have tax implications)
• Overtime, weekend, and public holiday rates apply

Pay rates change every 1 July with the Annual Wage Review. The Fair Work Pay Calculator gives current rates for any award.

Does farm hand work count toward the 88 days?

Most farm hand work counts toward the 88 days for a second year working holiday visa, provided:

• The work is performed in a designated regional postcode
• The work falls within the eligible "specified work" categories (plant and animal cultivation, including livestock and broadacre cropping)
• The work is paid
• The work is documented with payslips and reported to the ATO

Some farm-related activities do not count, including office work for an agricultural business, retail work selling farm produce, and most non-physical roles.

What about live-in and accommodation arrangements?

Many farm hand roles include accommodation. This is common on cattle stations, sheep stations, and remote properties. The tax implications include:

• The value of provided accommodation may be considered a fringe benefit
• Some accommodation is provided "as part of the job" without tax consequence
• Where the worker pays rent (deducted from wages), the deduction must be lawful and properly documented
• Living-away-from-home allowances may apply in some circumstances

The rules are complex and depend on the specific arrangement. Our team reviews accommodation arrangements as part of preparing tax returns for farm hand workers.

What about workers compensation on remote farms?

Workers compensation covers farm hands the same way it covers any employee. Each state and territory has a compulsory workers compensation scheme. Cattle stations and remote properties have higher than average rates of injury, and any injury during paid work is covered by the scheme regardless of distance from urban centres. See our article on workplace injury rights for the framework.

If you are classified as a contractor with an ABN rather than an employee, workers compensation coverage is more complex and may not apply automatically. The classification depends on the facts, not the contract. See our article on employee vs contractor.

What deductions can farm hands claim?

Working holiday makers in farm hand roles can typically claim:

• Work boots and protective footwear (steel cap, waterproof)
• Work clothing (high-vis, protective gear, sun protection)
• Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
• Gloves
• Tools provided by the worker (small hand tools, knives)
• A share of vehicle running costs for movement between work sites
• Mobile phone for work-related communications

See our article on tax deductions for working holiday makers for the framework, and the new $1,000 instant deduction rule from 2026-27 for how this might apply.

How does our service support farm hands?

For working holiday makers in farm hand roles, our team:

• Identifies the correct award (Pastoral, Horticulture, or Dairy)
• Cross-checks payslips against the correct classification and rate
• Reviews accommodation and live-in arrangements for tax implications
• Identifies unpaid super where contributions are missing
• Lodges the tax return capturing every employer correctly
• Coordinates documentation for second year visa applications

Get in touch with our team before you leave Australia to make sure your farm hand earnings and visa documentation are properly handled.