Queensland, Northern Territory and Victoria
Nutrano
Seasonal application route explicitly welcomes working holiday makers. Choose a farm and dates; arrange your own transport and accommodation.
AUSTRALIA · JOB GUIDE
Fruit picker jobs in Australia
Pick seasonal fruit and learn a crop on the job. Compare harvest dates, hourly or piecework pay and farms with practical accommodation or transport options.
Illustrative photo
This could suit you if…
You want seasonal outdoor work and are ready to learn the technique for a particular crop.
The trade-offs
Repeated bending or reaching, heat and weather affect the day. Harvest dates and earnings depend on the actual job, not just the region’s reputation.
What does the work involve?
Work starts with a crop and quality briefing: which fruit to take, how to detach it and how full to make each container. You repeat the task along rows, move filled containers as instructed and keep unsuitable fruit separate.
Heat, wet leaves, uneven ground and repeated bending or reaching shape the day. Ask how breaks, drinking water, toilets and shade are arranged, and whether ladders or picking platforms are involved.
Can I start without experience?
Look for a crop and employer that trains new pickers. The technique, pace and physical demands differ between ground crops, vines and trees. Tell the employer if you have never picked commercially so you can be considered for the appropriate induction.
What makes a harvest job workable?
Compare the crop timing, transport from your accommodation and the actual pay arrangement together. A cheaper bed is not much help if you cannot reach the farm before the shift. Weather and crop readiness can interrupt work, so leave room in your budget for gaps.
What do I need before applying?
Can beginners apply?
Yes. Entry picking jobs teach crop selection, handling and the farm’s picking system on site. Commercial experience is more important for pruning, machinery and supervisory roles.
What is the work like?
Expect repetitive outdoor work, bending or reaching and carrying produce. Weather can shorten a shift. Clothing, sun protection and footwear need to suit the crop and terrain.
Do I need a car?
Only where you must reach an outlying farm independently. A farm with arranged worker transport can suit someone without a car; nearby accommodation alone does not provide that transport.
Training for this role
Learn the work on site
Beginner picking work centres on the farm’s practical induction: identifying ripe fruit, avoiding crop damage, using picking equipment and working safely in the heat. Machinery and chemical-handling tasks require separate instruction; they are not covered by a basic picking introduction.
Companies and application routes
Direct employer and specialist recruitment routes. Current vacancies and general expressions of interest are identified in the descriptions.
Orange, NSW
Nashdale Orchards
December cherry harvest recruitment describes training and own transport. Limited camping is by arrangement. Ask whether your offer is hourly or piecework; no dollar rate is published.
Multiple growing regions
Costa
Picking recruitment form accepts Working Holiday 417 and 462 visa holders. Choose your preferred state and crop; seasonal recruitment depends on each farm’s harvest.
Tasmania
Reid Fruits
2026/27 cherry-season applications are open. Choose picking or packing: the employer requests one application, not both.
Apply for the role that fits your trip
Put your start date, available months, current location and work rights near the top of your CV. Add relevant hands-on tasks, any licences and whether you need accommodation; this lets the recruiter match you to a workable placement.
Use a current vacancy’s application form when one is listed. Use an expression-of-interest form when no suitable vacancy is listed.
How much does picking or packing pay?
| Work / experience | Hourly pay | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level 1, adult casual | $32.18 | Ordinary hourly minimum |
| Level 2, adult casual | $33.05 | After Level 1 progression / applicable duties |
Horticulture Award rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, including casual loading and excluding super. Level 1 lasts no more than three months of horticulture industry experience. These rates apply to covered horticulture work; a separate warehouse or processing business may use a different award.
Pay source and classifications
Picking paid by output
Horticulture pieceworkers still have a daily minimum based on their classification rate and hours worked. If output earnings are higher, the higher amount is payable. A bin or bucket price alone cannot show your likely hourly earnings.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked 17 October 2026.