Aquaculture Worker

An aquaculture worker performs routine manual and operational tasks on fish farms, shellfish farms, or hatcheries in Australia. They monitor water quality, feed stock, maintain farm infrastructure, and harvest or process aquatic organisms according to farm protocols and biosecurity requirements. The role is outdoor-based and involves physical work in wet or variable conditions.

Feed farmed fish or shellfish using automated or manual dispensing systems, monitoring consumption rates and adjusting quantities based on stock behaviour. Monitor water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, and temperature using probes and recording equipment, reporting deviations to supervisors. Maintain farm infrastructure including nets, cages, enclosures, and pipes by inspecting for damage, removing debris, and performing routine repairs or replacements. Conduct daily visual inspections of stock for signs of disease, parasites, or abnormal behaviour, isolating affected organisms or notifying farm management. Harvest farmed aquatic organisms using nets, traps, or mechanical equipment, handling stock humanely and meeting animal welfare standards. Clean and disinfect tanks, ponds, equipment, and work areas using approved cleaning agents and following biosecurity protocols to prevent disease transmission. Prepare harvested organisms for processing or sale by grading by size, packing into containers with ice or water, and labelling with date and batch information. Maintain detailed records of feeding, water quality readings, stock numbers, disease observations, and harvesting activities in farm management systems or logbooks.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate I or compulsory secondary education (ABS skill level 5). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The work is physically demanding in harsh conditions: you're wet, cold, or hot depending on season, handling heavy equipment and nets daily. Pay is modest and growth is limited without moving into management. Automation is starting to replace feeding and monitoring tasks on larger farms, so job security isn't guaranteed long-term.

Most work is regional or coastal rather than metro. The industry is tied to specific waterways and aquaculture zones, so jobs are geographically fixed: you go where the farms are, not the other way around.

• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Check diving equipment
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Data Entry and Accuracy
• Process Improvement Identification
• Quality Assurance and Checking
• Supplier Communication
• Written Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Aquaculture Worker move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026