Completing your 88 days: How much can you earn?

What salary can you expect to earn as a backpacker doing farmwork in Australia?

So you’ve fallen in love with Australia and decided to stay? We’ve been there! It’s likely at this stage that you want to get cracking with your 88 days of specified work to secure your second-year visa for paradise.

Getting stuck into 88 days of farm work not only gets you one step closer to securing your second-year visa, but it’s also a great way to save money to fund the next leg of your journey!

So, how much do farm workers get paid in Australia? Let’s break it down.

What’s the minimum wage for backpackers in Australia?

According to the Australian Government's Fair Work Ombudsman, the national minimum wage in Australia as of July 1st 2023 is $23.23 per hour or $882.80 per 38-hour week (this is before tax).

Contrary to what you might believe, this minimum wage also applies to backpackers. In fact, in certain roles (such as fruit picking or sales) you might even be in for a cheeky bonus for reaching certain targets.

What’s the highest paying farm work job in Australia?

So, if that’s the bare bones minimum, what kind of backpacker farm jobs pay the most? The pay on offer for farm jobs could vary slightly depending on a number of factors.

However, in general, most places offering farm work will simply pay what’s referred to as the level one rate. This is $28.26 per hour. The average rate for backpacker 88 day farm work is exactly this, $28.26 per hour.

There’s very little variation in the rate paid to backpackers for completing farm work, but let’s take a look at the various factors that could impact the rate of pay you receive.

Location

The average wage is pretty much set in stone for 88 day workers, as we previously covered, however, if you move along to Western Australia or Southern Australia there tends to be more diverse work offering more responsibilities.

More responsibilities usually mean a higher rate of pay. With a more vast landscape, there may also be more driving required from workers, which could push hourly rates up, or even an increased rate offered for roles further out of civilisation.

Role

When it comes to jobs that require you to operate heavy machinery or drive tractors, there might be more pay on offer. These jobs typically require you to hold a valid license for the machinery operated and for you to hold certain training qualifications.

These types of roles aren't always an easy option for backpackers. Whilst jobs like these and supervisory roles pay more, the vacancies tend to go to locals or those staying long-term who already have the relevant experience and qualifications.

Season

There is no real best season when it comes to payment for farm work. However, there are busier seasons that are likely to offer more hours. If you’re trying to decide when to fit your farm work in around your travel plans, you may want to take a look at the harvest calendar for your area.

More hours means more money in a shorter span of time, it also means you could get your 88 days out the way much faster so you can get back to doing what you do best. Traveling.

What’s the most desirable backpacker job?

When it comes to the most popular farm jobs for our 88 day backpackers, the answer is simple. Shed work. It offers longer hours than many other roles and leaves workers inside out of the heat of the sun. Not to mention the fact that it’s often less physically taxing than other forms of farm work, there’s less moving and heavy lifting meaning your body can catch a well-earned break.

Piece rate vs hourly pay

Now for a question we get all the time. What’s better, piece rate or being paid hourly?

• Piece rate: You get paid for the output and productivity of your work. If you’re picking fruit this would be the weight of the fruit you pick.
  
• Hourly: This is fairly self-explanatory, you simply get paid for the hours that you work.

It’s widely believed that an hourly rate is the best way to go. This should come as no big surprise, a fixed rate of pay means no nasty surprises when you get your payslip.

Whilst piece rate work might be easy to get if you’re in a hurry to complete your 88 days, if you ask around you’ll soon hear plenty about how piece rate work isn't the most reliable source of income.

Piece rate work can be rife with exploitation. In some cases, piece rate work relies on the productivity of a whole team of workers, not just your output as an individual. This means you could end up relying on your team to get the work done. If your team has a bad day or includes a few bad apples (forgive the pun), then your pay could end up taking a dive for that shift. Not what you want.

Our Insider Tip

We spoke to a manager of a backpacker work agency who let us in on a little trade secret. He suggested that those looking to complete their 88 days and earn an above average backpacker wage should take a look into mining work or construction. Many backpackers might not know that this is an option for them, but it’s a perfectly viable source of 88-day work and it tends to offer a higher rate of pay for those brave enough to get stuck in.