Farm Worker jobs

Farm jobs in Victoria: dairy, grain and horticulture

Farm jobs in Victoria cover dairy in Gippsland and the south west, grain in the north west and horticulture in Hume and Loddon Mallee. Agriculture Victoria puts the state's farm output at $22.2 billion in 2023 to 2024, spread across very different regions. Register with CrossNation and upload your CV, and a recruiter reviews it as employers brief us. A listing is not a job offer.

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By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 6 October 2026.

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Live jobs

Open farm worker roles in Victoria right now: 0

No matching roles are open in Victoria 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 Victoria

Where does farm work in Victoria happen?

Agriculture Victoria reports gross production of $22.2 billion in 2023 to 2024 and breaks it down by region, which shows how different the work is from place to place. Loddon Mallee is led by broadacre cropping and horticulture, Grampians by broadacre cropping, Barwon South West by beef, sheep and dairy, Hume by beef and sheep followed by horticulture, Gippsland by dairy, and Greater Melbourne by poultry, nurseries, turf and flowers followed by horticulture. A dairy job in Gippsland and an orchard job in the Hume region have little in common except the award rules, so search by region, not only by state.

What do the Census numbers say about Victoria's farm regions?

In the ABS Shepparton area, 3.1% of employed people worked in dairy cattle farming against 0.3% across Victoria, and 14.8% were labourers. In Warrnambool and South West the dairy share was 4.7%. In the North West area, 3.1% worked in other grain growing against 0.1% across the state, and 18.3% were managers. These are regional economies where farming is a visible employer alongside hospitals and local government, and median ages of 43 to 44 suggest older local populations than the national 38.

How do piece rates work on a Victorian orchard or vegetable farm?

Picking fruit and vegetables is covered by the Horticulture Award. An employer may pay an hourly rate, a piece rate or both. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that a piece rate must be set so that a pieceworker competent at the task, with at least 76 hours of experience, earns at least 15 percent more per hour than the hourly rate for their classification, and that every pieceworker has a minimum wage guarantee for the hours worked each day. The employer must give you a piecework record before you start, stating the task and the rate, and give you a new one before changing it. Keep your own record of hours.

How do you spot a bad offer?

The Fair Work Ombudsman lists warning signs for people looking for harvest work: job offers that require upfront fees or include free accommodation, ads with little business information, and offers of a quick visa or sponsored employment. It is illegal for an employer to ask you for money to receive a job offer or to keep a job. Ask who you are working for, check the business name and ABN on the Australian Business Register, and be wary of anyone who meets you at a regional airport or bus depot with a promise of work. CrossNation does not charge job seekers.

What does CrossNation do for Victorian farm roles?

CrossNation is a recruitment agency serving employers across Victoria. We recruit staff who become the employer's own employees, and we do not supply seasonal crews or pickers. Year-round dairy, cropping, orchard and farm supervisor roles suit that model best. There may be no matching role open today. Register, upload your CV and list the regions you can work in, your licence class and the machinery you have operated, and a recruiter can look at your profile when an employer briefs us.

What you could apply for in Victoria

Role types

Dairy hand or herd worker on a Gippsland or south west dairy farm
Orchard or vegetable hand picking, pruning and packing under the Horticulture Award
Cropping and machinery operator in the grain districts of the north west
Livestock hand on a beef and sheep property in the Hume or Grampians regions
Packhouse or farm team leader who coordinates a crew and keeps records

Areas covered: Shepparton and Goulburn Valley, Mildura and Sunraysia, Gippsland, Warrnambool and the south west, Wimmera and Mallee, Hume region, Ballarat and Grampians, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula.

Official data

Key facts from official sources

Victoria: value of agriculture

Victoria's agriculture sector was worth $22.2 billion in 2023 to 2024, a record, based on ABS data supplemented by Agriculture Victoria analysis. Agriculture and food manufacturing support the employment of over 150,000 people.

Source: Agriculture Victoria: Driving Victoria's economic growth (gross value of agricultural production by region, 2023-24) (retrieved 6 October 2026)

Victoria: production by region

Loddon Mallee: broadacre cropping ($1.7 billion) and horticulture ($1.5 billion) lead. Hume: beef and sheep ($1.3 billion), then horticulture ($753.9 million). Gippsland: dairy ($1.1 billion). Barwon South West: beef and sheep ($1.5 billion) and dairy ($1.2 billion). Grampians: broadacre cropping ($1.7 billion).

Source: Agriculture Victoria: Driving Victoria's economic growth (gross value of agricultural production by region, 2023-24) (retrieved 6 October 2026)

ABS Shepparton: dairy and labourers

137,618 residents, median age 43. 3.1% of employed people worked in dairy cattle farming, against 0.3% across Victoria. 14.8% were labourers, against 8.8% across the state.

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

ABS Warrnambool and South West: dairy

128,069 residents, median age 45. 4.7% of employed people worked in dairy cattle farming against 0.3% across Victoria, and 18.1% were managers.

Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats: Warrnambool and South West (retrieved 6 October 2026)

ABS North West: grain

155,568 residents, median age 44. 3.1% of employed people worked in other grain growing against 0.1% across Victoria, and 14.9% were labourers.

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

Horticulture Award: piece rates

A piece rate must be fixed so that a pieceworker competent at the task, meaning at least 76 hours of experience, earns at least 15% more per hour than their hourly rate. A pieceworker must be paid no less than the hourly rate multiplied by the hours worked each day, and must get a written piecework record before starting (clause 15.2).

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

Fair Work Ombudsman: warning signs when finding harvest work

Job offers that require upfront fees or include free accommodation, ads with little business information, picking the wrong seasonal crop, and offers of a quick visa or sponsored employment. It is illegal for an employer to ask for money to receive or keep a job.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman Horticulture Showcase: Working the Harvest Trail (retrieved 6 October 2026)

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which parts of Victoria have the most farm jobs?

The regional output figures point to Loddon Mallee and Grampians for cropping, Hume and Loddon Mallee for horticulture, and Gippsland and Barwon South West for dairy. Seasonal demand varies by crop.

How much can I earn picking fruit in Victoria?

It depends on whether you are paid hourly or by piece rate, your classification and your pace. The award sets a floor through the hourly rate and the minimum wage guarantee. See our farm worker pay guide and check Fair Work for the latest rates.

Do I need a licence for farm work in Victoria?

There is no general farm work licence. Driving a tractor, truck or forklift can require a licence or ticket, and a forklift needs a high risk work licence. Employers list what they need in the advertisement.

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

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

Is a piecework record really required?

Yes. The Horticulture Award says an employer must give a pieceworker a signed written record stating the task, the rate and the hourly rate before the piecework begins, and must give a new record before changing the rate.

Are farm jobs in Victoria listed with CrossNation today?

The live roles section above lists any open Victorian role that matches. When there are none, a registered profile that names your region and the work you want is what a recruiter sees when a grower or dairy farmer sends a brief. Listings are not job offers.