Horticulture Award 2025 Pay Rates (MA000028)

Plain-English Summary

Who does this award cover?

The Horticulture Award covers employees working in the horticulture industry across Australia. This includes fruit pickers, nursery workers, vineyard hands, greenhouse workers, mushroom farm staff, flower growers, landscape gardeners employed by horticultural operations, vegetable farm workers, orchard workers, and irrigation workers in horticultural settings. If you work on a farm, orchard, vineyard, nursery, or greenhouse growing, harvesting, or processing horticultural products, this award likely applies to you.

The award is particularly significant during harvest season, when thousands of seasonal workers (including Working Holiday visa holders) are engaged for fruit and vegetable picking across regional Australia. It covers piecework arrangements as well as hourly rate employment.

The award does NOT cover pastoral workers on cattle or sheep stations (covered by the Pastoral Award MA000035), grain and broadacre farming (also Pastoral Award), or landscaping work performed as part of building construction (covered by the Building and Construction Award).

How classification levels work

Classification levels range from Level 1 (entry-level -- basic manual tasks such as picking, sorting, packing) through to Level 5 (senior roles including farm manager, irrigation specialist, head grower). Juniors (under 21) receive a percentage of the adult rate based on age. Your classification depends on the skills required for your role, not your job title.

What about part-time and casual workers?

Part-time employees receive the same hourly rate as full-time employees on a pro-rata basis. Casual employees receive a 25% loading on the base hourly rate. Many horticulture workers are casual, particularly during harvest season. Piecework is permitted under the award, provided the piecework rate enables a competent worker to earn at least 15% more than the applicable hourly rate.

Classification Levels and Base Rates

All rates effective 1 July 2025. Source: Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review 2024-25.

Hourly rate = weekly rate / 38. Casual rate = hourly rate x 1.25.

Penalty Rates

All penalties are calculated on the base hourly rate.

Full-Time and Part-Time Employees (Non-Shiftworkers)

Shiftworkers

Casual Employees

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the ordinary hours for horticulture workers?

Ordinary hours are 38 per week, or an average of 38 per week over an averaging period of up to 8 weeks (304 hours over 8 weeks). The standard span is 6:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday, but this can be varied by agreement. During harvest season, employers may roster longer daily hours. Hours in excess of 12 per engagement in a single day attract overtime at 200%.

2. Do fruit pickers get different rates during harvest season?

The base hourly rate stays the same regardless of whether it is harvest season. However, the award provides different Sunday penalty rates during harvest season compared to outside harvest season. During harvest, Sunday overtime for the first 5 hours (within the first 8 overtime hours in the week) is paid at 150% rather than the usual 200%. This is designed to facilitate longer working hours during peak harvest periods.

3. How does piecework pay work under this award?

The award permits piecework arrangements where employees are paid per unit of output (for example, per bin of fruit picked) rather than an hourly rate. The piecework rate must be set so that a competent worker can earn at least 15% more per hour than the applicable hourly rate. A written piecework agreement is required. Pieceworkers are still entitled to overtime rates when they exceed the applicable ordinary hours thresholds.

4. Are junior horticulture workers paid differently?

Yes. Employees under 21 years of age receive a percentage of the adult rate: Under 16 -- 45%, 16 years -- 50%, 17 years -- 55%, 18 years -- 65%, 19 years -- 75%, 20 years -- 90%. Once you turn 21, you receive the full adult rate. Junior casual employees receive the junior rate plus the 25% casual loading. Junior rates also apply to piecework calculations.

5. What is the minimum engagement for casual harvest workers?

Casual employees must be engaged for a minimum of 3 consecutive hours per shift. At the Level 1 casual rate ($30.93/hr), the minimum payment for any casual shift is $92.79 gross. This applies to all casual engagements, including short harvest picking shifts. Note that even if the weather or other factors prevent work during the engagement, the minimum 3 hours must be paid.

Check Your Rate

Not sure if you are being paid correctly? Use our free pay rate calculator to check your exact rate based on your classification level, employment type, and whether it is harvest season.

Check your pay rate now

Enter your details and get an instant breakdown of what you should be earning -- including penalty rates, piecework comparisons, and casual loading. Every result cites the specific award clause so you can verify it yourself.

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Rates current as of 1 July 2025. Source: Fair Work Commission, CC BY 4.0. This information is general in nature and is not legal advice. Always verify rates against the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) at calculate.fairwork.gov.au.