Guide contents
Station hand salary in Australia
A station hand earns a base of $70,000 to $95,000*, or about $30 to $41 an hour where the role is paid hourly.
All figures are base salary in Australian dollars. They exclude superannuation (12 per cent) and the package on top (housing, vehicle and bonuses). Figures as at June 2026.
| Band | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single national band | $70,000 | $80,000 | $95,000* |
*Based on a 45-hour week. With 60-plus hour weeks through peak season, total earnings run well above the band.
Stud and seedstock operations price above the band, running $100,000 to $105,000 for the most experienced hands. The award floor for this classification sits near $52,000 a year, so the market clears roughly half as much again.
Benefits on top.
Housing and meals are standard on-station and are the main non-cash component; many ads quote a package that includes housing without a figure. A station vehicle is provided for work use. Bonuses are rare at this level.
What moves the number.
Stud and seedstock work, breeding-program involvement and low-stress stock-handling credentials set the top. Northern mustering-season hours lift cash earnings. Horsemanship and the ability to run a small crew matter. Remoteness is priced through keep and amenity rather than base.
Also advertised as.
Experienced Station Hand, Stockman or Stockperson, Station Hand (senior), Livestock and Farm Maintenance Hand.
The senior on-station leadership role above this is the overseer or head stockperson, and the broadacre equivalent at this level is the farm hand.
Part of the Australian Agricultural Salary Guide 2026. How we built these bands: methodology.
Hiring a station hand?
March Talent Partners benchmarks and fills these roles for agribusinesses across Australia. For a band against your brief, not a headline number.
Looking for a move in the pastoral sector? See how we work with candidates.
