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About Agriculture
You'll become
- Farm Supervisor
- Farm Team Leader
- Shed Supervisor
Average Salaries
Agriculture workers may earn between $48,000 and $88,000 per year
Help tackle some of society’s most urgent problems and build new skills in the process. Start today by studying an agriculture course.
How we produce our food and ensure prosperity for all people is a critical problem for humankind to solve. By studying an agriculture course, you’ll develop the essential knowledge, practical skills and personal insights required to play a decisive role in determining how we manage natural resources, support food systems, and ensure secure and prosperous livelihoods for all people, all over the world.
If you want a rewarding career where you have a chance to make a real difference, consider studying agriculture.
In an agriculture course, you’ll establish a broad knowledge base of fundamental of agricultural science, and build the essential practical skills required to apply your knowledge in a workplace setting. You may study units including biology, environmental science, plant and soil science, animal science and agricultural economics, and develop a solid understanding of the contextual and historical factors that influence production and management of food and environments today.
After completing an agriculture course, you may seek work in a variety of roles, including in both cities and rural areas, and on the international stage. You may work as an agricultural scientist or agricultural technician, conducting research and analysis in a laboratory or university, or work as farm manager, operations manager, production manager or farm hand, implementing best-practise farming techniques to grow a better future.
You may study an agriculture course as a certificate or diploma course, as a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or as an advanced diploma or other post-graduate certificate. If you choose to pursue an academic career in agricultural science, you may also be able to undertake doctoral research, and advance society’s understanding of how to feed our people and protect our earth.
If you’re passionate about the environment and want to work to effectively protect and manage natural resources, an agriculture course will give you the critical competitive edge you need to stand out, build a new career, and use your knowledge to make a real difference.
What do agriculture graduates do?
After completing an agriculture course, you’ll be qualified to seek employment in a range of different roles, including working as an agricultural scientist or technician, as a farm manager or assistant, or in production and quality control for agricultural industries.
In any agricultural role, you’ll likely work with plant and animal science, agricultural systems and planning, and consider a range of economical, ethical and environmental perspectives in your work.
If you work as an agricultural technician or scientist, you might perform tasks like:
- Sampling the topographical, physical and soil characteristics of farmland to assess nutrient profiles and deficiencies;
- Assessing and identifying new methods of planting, fertilising, harvesting and processing crops to achieve optimum land usage;
- Identifying parasites, fungi and weeks harmful to crops and livestock, and developing methods of control;
- Performing and managing experiments to develop improved crop and livestock strains;
- Inspecting crops and livestock to assess and monitor effectiveness of scientific interventions;
- Arranging the supply of drugs, vaccines and other chemicals to farm managers, and advising on their use; and
- Collecting and analysing data.
If you work as a farm manager or farm hand, you might perform tasks like:
- Identifying and assessing environmental and market factors influencing farming operations;
- Selecting and planting seeds, seedlings and bulbs;
- Managing crop production by cultivating, de-budding and pruning, and maintaining optimal growing conditions;
- Organising and conducting farming operations, such as collecting, storing, grading and packaging produce, and organising its sale and dispatch; and
- Directing and managing general farming operations, including managing staff and business requirements, including production and resource preparation.
Career Outcomes
Career Outcomes
After completing an agriculture course, you’ll likely work in a role addressing issues including natural resource productivity and planning, environmental protection and welfare, climate change mitigation, and food security and related issues.
After completing an agriculture course, you’ll be qualified to work as a:
- Farm Supervisor
- Farm Team Leader
- Shed Supervisor
Is agriculture right for you?
You’ll enjoy working in agriculture if you:
- Enjoy practical work
- Are passionate about the environment
- Can work effectively in fast-paced environments
- Are organised and efficient
- Want a career outdoors
- Work well with details
- Enjoy repetitive work
- Want a meaningful and rewarding career
- Want to make a difference
Job opportunities
Graduates of agriculture courses can expect to enjoy strong employment demand for their skills, with the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture stating that three jobs currently exist for graduates of agriculture and related courses.
The Australian Government’s Job Outlook offers employment prospects for a range of roles within the agriculture sector, and agrees generally that employment prospects for agriculture graduates are increasing.
Job opportunities for farmers and farm managers are expected to remain stable or grow slightly over the next few years, employing an additional 300 people by 2020, Job Outlook estimates. Opportunities for farmers have contracted over the past decade, but the sector will stabilise and expand over the next decade.
Similarly, agricultural scientists will enjoy a period of relative employment stability, with Job Outlook predicting that the volatility in job opportunities from the last decade will stabilise, and the profession will grow by approximately 10 per cent to 2020.
Average Salaries
A range of salary predictions is available for professionals working in the agriculture industry. According to PayScale, an agronomist can expect to earn on average approximately $60,000 per year; a farm manager can expect to earn approximately $65,000 per year; a farm hand can expect to earn approximately $39,000 per year; an operations manager can expect to earn approximately $88,000 per year; and an office manager can expect to earn approximately $53,000 per year. Generally, professionals in this industry can expect to command higher salaries with higher qualifications or more years of work experience.