Grain, Oilseed, Pulse and Pasture Farm Worker

A farm worker who performs routine manual and semi-skilled tasks on grain, oilseed, pulse, and pasture properties across Australian rural regions. The role involves operating farm machinery, maintaining crops and pastures, managing livestock, and preparing produce for transport or sale under the direction of farm management.

Operate grain harvesters, headers, and combine machines during harvest periods, adjusting settings for crop type and soil conditions. Drive tractors and tow implements for ploughing, cultivation, sowing, and crop application across paddocks. Assist with grain drying, cleaning, and storage in silos and sheds, monitoring moisture content and pest activity. Maintain pasture condition through slashing, raking, and baling hay and silage using appropriate machinery. Fence and maintain field boundaries, gates, and water troughs to contain livestock and manage stock movement. Monitor crop health for weeds, pests, and disease, and assist with chemical application under supervision following label directions. Load, transport, and unload grain, hay, and other produce to and from farm storage and transport points. Perform basic machinery maintenance including oil and filter changes, greasing, and clearing blockages on farm equipment.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). 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 heavily seasonal with intense harvest periods followed by quiet months, making it hard to plan income or get steady full-time hours year-round. You'll also be exposed to long days in heat, dust, and chemicals, with injury risk from machinery and livestock. Pay typically stays modest even with experience unless you move into management.

Work is rural and regional: you'll need to be based near farming areas. Remote work isn't an option.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Carry picking work aidscore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Goods Receipt Processing
• Record Management
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Stock Counting and Stocktake
• Supplier 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 Grain, Oilseed, Pulse and Pasture Farm Worker move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026