State of Farm Work Australia 2026 – Key Statistics

state of farm work australia 2026 - farmworkaustralia.com.au

A data snapshot of Australia’s agricultural workforce, wages, visa programs, and industry economics. Updated April 2026. All figures sourced from official Australian government data.

258,900
People employed in agriculture
ABS, May 2025
~215,000
Working Holiday Visa holders in Australia
Up 21.5% year-on-year
78%
Backpacker farm workers paid below minimum
Migrant Workers Centre
$101.4B
Farm-gate production forecast (record)
ABARES, 2025-26
31,970
Pacific Island workers under PALM scheme
January 2026
33%
Of seasonal farm workforce are backpackers
NFF survey

1. Agricultural Employment

Metric Figure Source
Total agricultural employment 258,900 (May 2025) ABS Labour Force Survey
4-year average employment 277,000 (to Aug 2024) ABARES analysis
Full-time share 75.9% ABARES factsheet
Year-on-year change Down ~11% ABS Labour Force Survey

Employment by State

State Agricultural Jobs Period
Victoria 106,000 Mar 2025
New South Wales 102,600 Mar 2025
Queensland 101,900 Mar 2025
Western Australia — —
South Australia — —
Tasmania 30,300 Mar 2025
Northern Territory 5,100 Mar 2025
ACT 700 Mar 2025

Source: ABS modelled state and territory estimates. Figures include agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

2. Working Holiday Visa & Immigration

Metric Figure Source
WHV holders in Australia ~215,000 (year to May 2025) DAFF factsheet
WHV holders (at 30 Jun 2024) 170,437 Home Affairs WHM Report
WHM visas granted (2023-24) 234,556 Home Affairs WHM Report
WHM visas granted (2022-23) 224,431 Home Affairs WHM Report
Year-on-year WHV growth +21.5% DAFF factsheet
Backpackers as share of farm workforce ~33% (NFF survey) National Farmers’ Federation

Top WHV Nationalities

Subclass 417 (Working Holiday)

  1. United Kingdom
  2. France
  3. Ireland
  4. Japan
  5. South Korea

Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday)

  1. USA
  2. Indonesia
  3. Spain
  4. Argentina
  5. Thailand

Source: Home Affairs WHM Programme Report, December 2024

88-Day Qualifying Work

45.4% of second-year 417 visa holders named agriculture as their qualifying industry. For 462 visa holders, it was 56.4%. Agriculture is the dominant pathway to visa extensions.

3. Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM)

Metric Figure Period
Total PALM participants 31,970 January 2026
Short-term workers (up to 6 months) 15,225 January 2026
Long-term workers (up to 3.5 years) 16,740 January 2026
Gender split ~80% male January 2026
Approved direct employers 422 January 2026
Approved labour hire companies 111 January 2026
Share entering agriculture ~50% DAFF estimate

Top PALM Source Countries (January 2026)

Country Workers
Vanuatu 6,835
Solomon Islands 5,245
Fiji 4,950

Source: PALM Scheme Data, Department of Employment

4. Pay & Wages

Award Minimum Rates (2025-26)

Award Classification Hourly Rate Casual Rate (incl. 25%)
Horticulture Award Level 1 (picker/packer) $24.28/hr $30.35/hr
Pastoral Award Level 1 (farm hand) $24.10/hr $30.13/hr
Pastoral Award Level 2 (experienced) $24.73/hr $30.91/hr
Pastoral Award Level 3 (trade qualified) $25.68/hr $32.10/hr
Pastoral Award Level 4 (supervisor) $27.14/hr $33.93/hr

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman, Horticulture Showcase

Piece rate requirement: Workers paid piece rates must earn at least 15% above the minimum hourly rate for their classification. A guaranteed minimum wage floor applies daily.

Underpayment in Agriculture

Finding Figure Source
Backpacker farm workers paid below award 78% Migrant Workers Centre survey (2020-21)
Farm workers earning less than legal hourly rate 61% Migrant Workers Centre research
Workers earning the official casual rate Only 2% Migrant Workers Centre research
Maximum penalty per underpayment offence ~$99,000 Fair Work Ombudsman

Highest-Paying Roles & Regions

Role / Region Typical Pay Source
Farm managers (Mackay, QLD) ~$130,000/yr SEEK salary data
Farm managers (Ballarat/Gippsland, VIC) ~$90,000/yr SEEK salary data
Experienced cherry pickers ~$45/hr equivalent SalaryExpert
Machinery / tractor operators $30-$38/hr Industry sources

For a full breakdown, see our Farm Work Pay Rates Australia 2026 guide.

5. Industry Economics

Metric Figure Source
Farm-gate production (forecast) ~$101.4 billion (2025-26) ABARES / NFF
Agricultural exports (forecast) ~$85 billion (2025-26) ABARES / NFF
Horticulture production value $18.0 billion (2023-24) ABS Horticulture Report
Estimated cost of labour shortages ~$150 million/yr Canberra Times / industry estimate
On-farm food waste ~20% of output by volume ABARES crop waste report
Farms blaming labour for waste (2023-24) 4% (down from 16% in 2021-22) ABARES

Key Crop Values (2023-24)

Crop Production Value
Wine grapes ~$1.0 billion
Almonds $870 million
Table grapes $752 million
Bananas $698 million
Apples $680 million
Citrus (export value) ~$457 million

Source: ABS Australian Agriculture: Horticulture 2023-24

Methodology & Sources

All data in this report is drawn from official Australian government sources, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), and the Fair Work Ombudsman. Industry data comes from the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) and relevant unions.

This page is updated quarterly. Last updated: April 2026.

View full source list

About this report: The State of Farm Work Australia is published by Farm Work Australia, the national job board for agricultural work. We connect job seekers with farm employers across every state and territory. Browse current farm jobs or post a listing.

Media enquiries: If you’d like to cite this data or request commentary, contact us at help@farmworkaustralia.com.au