At a glance

This page gives you a high-level overview of the Australian agricultural workforce.

255,400

people are employed in agriculture, representing 1.7% of the Australian workforce¹

70.5%

are employed full-time¹

34.8%

of the workforce is female¹

44.7%

of employees were in casual employment (excludes owner managers)²

$1,200

is the median weekly earnings in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industry²

years is the median worker’s age³

¹ As of November 2024 (Source: ABS 2024, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed)
² As of August 2024 (Source: ABS 2024, Characteristics of Employment, Australia)
³ As of August 2021 (Source: ABS 2021, Age (AGEP) by Industry of Employment (INDP) [Census TableBuilder])

Trends over time

Dive into a data detailed factsheet that aims to help foster a deeper understanding of the agricultural landscape, recognising the pivotal role that the workforce plays in this sector, and its broader contributions to the economy. At a glance, you will be able to compare trends in agricultural employment across various indicators.

Key highlight (as of January 2025)

Over the last decade, employment growth has been in Fruit and Tree Nut Growing, Nursery and Floriculture Production and Poultry Farming.

Download the factsheet

For more, read ABARES agricultural workforce research and visit agricultural workforce data sources.