Home Nursery Hand Salary
Nursery Hand salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a nursery hand is $57,200 per annum, before tax, up $11,900 since 2018.
Most nursery hands are paid under the Horticulture Award, so the casual loading, weekend watering rosters and public holiday shifts make a real difference to what lands in your account each week. Moving up the classification levels comes with taking on propagation, spray programs or dispatch and forklift duties, and larger wholesale nurseries often pay above the award minimum. Hours also swing with the season, so a quiet winter month can look very different from the weeks before spring.
Roles that pay more than nursery hand
The largest typical pay rise is $19,100 a year, moving into Greenkeeper.
- Greenkeeper+$19,100/yr
- Turf Grower+$10,400/yr
- Landscaper+$7,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher nursery hand salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time nursery hand salary is $57,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Hand and power tool work and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general nursery hand experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Greenkeeper pays a typical $19,100 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."
Nursery Hand salary questions
How much do nursery hands earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a nursery hand is $57,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is nursery hand pay rising or falling?
The median nursery hand salary is up $11,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than nursery hand?
Greenkeeper pays a typical $19,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to nursery hand.