Vegetable Picker

A vegetable picker harvests vegetables from fields, glasshouses, or hydroponic systems in Australian agricultural settings, selecting and picking produce at the correct stage of maturity and quality. They work under direction from farm supervisors or harvest coordinators, following food safety protocols and preparing vegetables for transport or further processing. The role involves physical labour, repetitive hand and tool use, and adherence to farm-specific picking standards and scheduling.

Identify vegetables at optimal ripeness and harvest maturity according to variety-specific picking standards. Harvest vegetables using hand-picking techniques or harvest knives, selecting only produce meeting quality grade specifications. Operate within assigned rows, sections, or glasshouse beds to maintain systematic harvest coverage and avoid crop damage. Place picked vegetables into collection containers, crates, or bins while minimising bruising and maintaining stack height within limits. Comply with food safety practices including hand hygiene, produce handling protocols, and pesticide re-entry intervals as required by employer. Remove and discard diseased, damaged, or non-compliant produce to maintain harvest quality. Transport filled harvest containers to designated collection points or transport vehicles. Work within production schedules and daily picking targets set by farm supervisors.

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.

Your back, knees and hands will take a beating from bending, squatting and repetitive gripping all day in all weather. Pay is typically casual and award-based with no penalty rates guaranteed. Work is seasonal so income is inconsistent. Automation of glasshouse picking may reduce the number of roles over time.

Work is field or farm-based so not remote. Seasonal peaks mean more positions during winter and spring produce seasons.

• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Carry picking work aidscore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Multitaskingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Active Listening
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Goods Receipt Processing
• Incident Reporting
• Stock Counting and Stocktake

• 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 Vegetable Picker workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026