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Cellar Hand salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a cellar hand is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,400 since 2018.
Pay varies with the size of the winery and the arrangement you are on. Larger producers and those covered by an enterprise agreement tend to sit above the award, and vintage brings overtime and shift penalties that lift earnings for a few months of the year. A permanent role on a set roster pays more evenly across the year than casual vintage work, which can leave the cellar quiet by winter.
Roles that pay more than cellar hand
The largest typical pay rise is $49,100 a year, moving into Food Scientist.
- Food Scientist+$49,100/yr
- Winemaker+$23,400/yr
- Bartender+$13,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher cellar hand salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time cellar hand salary is $65,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Cellar Hands are on the skills shortage list for regional areas, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Operations management and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general cellar hand experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Food Scientist pays a typical $49,100 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Cellar Hand salary questions
How much do cellar hands earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a cellar hand is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is cellar hand pay rising or falling?
The median cellar hand salary is up $13,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than cellar hand?
Food Scientist pays a typical $49,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to cellar hand.