Somerville and Lyndhurst, Victoria
Haar’s Nursery
Nursery hands are among its published recruitment pathways. The employer describes workplace learning and development; ask about the contract length, transport and any experience expected.
AUSTRALIA · JOB GUIDE
Nursery worker jobs in Australia
Pot, water, move and prepare plants in a commercial nursery. Basic nursery-hand work can suit beginners; specialist propagation and machinery roles need additional skills.
Illustrative photo
This could suit you if…
You like working with plants and want practical growing, potting or dispatch tasks.
The trade-offs
Repetitive handling and outdoor or greenhouse conditions can be tiring. Production nursery work differs from garden-centre sales and specialist propagation.
What does the work involve?
Production nurseries propagate plants, fill pots, move trays, water crops and prepare orders. You may work outdoors, under shade cloth or inside propagation structures, with care needed to avoid plant damage and mix-ups.
Labels and batch accuracy matter: similar plants may need different treatment. Ask how potting mix, chemicals and lifting are handled and which tasks a new starter can perform.
Which nursery jobs should I search for?
Use “production nursery hand”, “potting” or “plant dispatch” for growing and preparing plants. Garden-centre sales is a different role, with more customer advice and retail work. The distinction also matters when checking specified-work eligibility; the business name alone does not decide whether your duties count.
Can I do it without a car?
Start with the nursery’s actual worksite, not its office or shop address. Growing sites can be outside town and shifts can start before public transport. Worker accommodation is a separate benefit that must be offered explicitly, not something to assume from an agricultural job title.
What do I need before applying?
Do I need a horticulture qualification?
Basic nursery-hand jobs can be learned on site. Potting, moving trays, watering and packing plants are distinct from skilled propagation, chemical application or managing plant health.
What will help my application?
Practical plant care, warehouse work and careful stock handling are useful. Work can be outdoors or in hot covered growing areas and involves repeated lifting and bending.
Which training is worth doing?
Nursery career and training pathways
Explore vocational training if you want a longer horticulture career; a full qualification is not a universal prerequisite for a basic nursery-hand application.
Companies and application routes
Direct employer and specialist recruitment routes. Current vacancies and general expressions of interest are identified in the descriptions.
Piedmont, Victoria
Nationwide Trees
Employer nursery farm-hand recruitment describes potting, pruning, tree care, dispatch and order preparation. Previous farm or nursery experience is preferred but not essential; follow the careers page application route.
North Arm, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Blue Sky Nursery
Wholesale nursery with a direct careers enquiry form and CV upload. Use it for nursery-hand interest; the form itself does not advertise a specific vacancy.
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.
Nursery-hand pay
| Classification | Permanent | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1A beginner | $25.74/hour | $32.18/hour |
| Grade 1B | $26.44/hour | $33.05/hour |
Nursery Award adult ordinary hourly rates from 1 July 2026, excluding super. Casual rates include 25% loading. Higher duties and experience can move a worker to a higher classification; accommodation is separate from wages.
Pay source and classifications
Pakenham nursery-hand advert
Chandler Personnel’s 14 August 2026 Pakenham advert lists $33/hour plus super for planting, pruning, staking and weeding, with own transport and basic plant knowledge. It lists Monday–Friday hours, but does not establish permanent employment or explain casual loading.
Dated pay evidence · checked 23 October 2026. Apply through the company links in Employers.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked 17 October 2026.