Farm Worker jobs

Ag jobs in NSW: farm, livestock and horticulture work

Ag jobs in NSW span beef and grain in New England and the north west, mixed farming and horticulture in the Riverina and the Murray, and fruit and vegetable growing across the state. The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development lists broadacre crops, horticulture and pastures and rangelands among its agriculture topics. Register with CrossNation and upload your CV, and a recruiter reviews it as employers brief us.

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By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 6 October 2026.

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Open farm worker roles in New South Wales right now: 0

No matching roles are open in New South Wales right now. Create a candidate profile and upload your CV, and a recruiter reviews profiles against roles as employers brief us. A listing is not a job offer.

What to know

What to know before you apply in New South Wales

What does agriculture cover in New South Wales?

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development organises its agriculture pages around broadacre crops, horticulture, and pastures and rangelands. Its horticulture section lists apples, pears and other pome fruit, berries, cherries, peaches and other stone fruit, citrus, grapes, melons, nuts, tropical fruit, vegetables and protected cropping. That spread of crops is why NSW farm work is so varied: cereal and oilseed cropping on the plains, beef and sheep on the tablelands and slopes, irrigated horticulture along the rivers, and berries and vegetables close to the coast. Sydney is a long way from most of it, so check the address on any role advertised as an agriculture job in Sydney.

What does New England and the north west look like?

In the ABS New England and North West area, 3.8% of employed people worked in specialised beef cattle farming, against 0.4% across New South Wales. 16.3% were managers and 13.5% were labourers, with a median age of 41. The work there includes livestock handling, fencing, feeding, machinery and property maintenance, and the Pastoral Award is the one most often involved. It classifies station hands, cattle farm workers and dairy operators by experience, with a farm and livestock hand level 1 for a station hand with less than six months in the industry.

What do the Riverina and the Murray offer?

The ABS Riverina area had 163,656 residents at the 2021 Census and the Murray area had 123,552. In the Riverina, 13.9% of employed people were labourers against 8.2% across New South Wales and 15.6% were managers. In the Murray, 12.0% were labourers. Neither area has a farming industry in its top five employers in the ABS data, where hospitals, supermarkets and social assistance lead, which is a useful reminder that farm work sits alongside a wider regional job market. Irrigated horticulture, mixed cropping and livestock all draw on it.

How do award levels decide what you are paid?

Under the Horticulture Award a new employee starts at Level 1 and should progress to Level 2 after no more than three months of industry experience. Level 3 covers duties such as driving mechanical harvesters or forklifts and operating tractors over 70 kW, and Level 5 is for an employee with a trade qualification. Juniors are paid a percentage of the adult rate by age, from 50 percent under 16 to 100 percent at 20. The award prints $978.10 a week and $25.74 an hour for Level 1 from 1 July 2026. Fair Work award MA000028, read 6 October 2026. Check Fair Work for the latest rates.

What can you do in NSW with CrossNation?

CrossNation is a recruitment agency serving employers across New South Wales. We recruit staff who become the employer's own employees and we do not supply seasonal crews. Farm hand, machinery operator, livestock and supervisor roles suit that model. There may be no matching role open today. Register, upload your CV and list your licence class, machinery experience and the regions you can work in, and a recruiter can look at your profile when an employer briefs us.

What you could apply for in New South Wales

Role types

Livestock hand or station hand on a beef or sheep property, working under the Pastoral Award
Cropping and machinery operator on a broadacre farm
Irrigated horticulture hand, picker or packer in the Riverina or along the Murray
Berry, stone fruit or vegetable farm hand
Farm supervisor or team leader who coordinates a crew and records

Areas covered: New England and the north west, Tamworth, Riverina, Griffith and Leeton, Wagga Wagga, Murray, Central West, Orana, Hunter Valley, Northern Rivers.

Official data

Key facts from official sources

NSW: agriculture topics

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development lists broadacre crops, horticulture, pastures and rangelands, soils, agricultural water management and farm budgets among its agriculture topics.

Source: NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development: Agriculture (retrieved 6 October 2026)

NSW: horticulture crop groups

The department lists apples, pears and other pome fruit, berries, cherries, peaches and other stone fruit, citrus, grapes, melons, nuts, tropical fruit, vegetables and protected cropping.

Source: NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development: Horticulture (retrieved 6 October 2026)

ABS New England and North West: beef

185,560 residents, median age 41. 3.8% of employed people worked in specialised beef cattle farming, against 0.4% across New South Wales. 16.3% were managers.

Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: New England and North West (retrieved 6 October 2026)

ABS Riverina: workforce

163,656 residents, median age 39. 13.9% of employed people were labourers (8.2% across New South Wales) and 15.6% were managers (14.6% across the state).

Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Riverina (retrieved 6 October 2026)

ABS Murray: workforce

123,552 residents, median age 44. 12.0% of employed people were labourers and 16.1% were managers.

Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Murray (retrieved 6 October 2026)

Horticulture Award: levels and juniors

A Level 1 employee is a new employee under direct supervision who progresses to Level 2 after no more than 3 months' industry experience. Juniors are paid 50% of the adult rate under 16, 60% at 16, 70% at 17, 80% at 18, 90% at 19 and 100% at 20.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Horticulture Award 2020 [MA000028] (retrieved 6 October 2026)

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What are the main ag jobs in NSW?

Broadacre cropping, beef and sheep work, irrigated horticulture, orchard and berry work, and vegetable growing. The region decides which dominates.

Are there agriculture jobs in Sydney?

Some roles may be advertised that way, but most farm work is in regional New South Wales. Check the address on the advertisement, and look at New England, the Riverina and the Murray.

What is the difference between the Horticulture Award and the Pastoral Award?

The Horticulture Award covers growing, picking, packing and treating horticultural crops. The Pastoral Award covers livestock, dairy, shearing and broadacre field crops, and it says it does not cover employees under the Horticulture Award.

Can I do farm work in NSW on a working holiday visa?

Yes, working holiday makers can work in farm jobs, generally up to six months with one employer, and regional plant and animal cultivation can count toward a further visa. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.

How much do junior farm workers get paid?

Both awards set junior rates as a percentage of the adult rate by age, from 50% under 16 to 100% at 20. Check Fair Work for the latest rates.

Are ag jobs in NSW listed with CrossNation today?

Look at the live roles section above for open New South Wales roles. If it is empty, register with the regions you can work in and your licence class, and a recruiter can open your profile when a New South Wales employer briefs us. A listing is not a job offer.