Overview
EMPLOYED
302,900
PART-TIME SHARE
27%
WORKFORCE SHARE
2.1%
FEMALE SHARE
32%
MEDIAN WEEKLY EARNINGS
$1,372
MEDIAN AGE
51
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing is a small employing industry. Around 2.1% of workers have their main job in this industry.
Businesses in this industry are mainly involved in activities like:
- growing crops
- raising animals
- growing and harvesting timber
- harvesting fish and other animals from farms or their natural habitats
A large share of the workforce is employed in regional Australia.
Median earnings are $1,372 per week, lower than all industries median earnings of $1,700.
Details
On this page
Employment
Employment in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industry fell over the 20 years to August 2025.
The number of workers fell by 3,700 (or -1.2%) over the last year.
| Quarterly employment, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | Employment |
|---|---|
| 351000 | |
| 349400 | |
| 348100 | |
| 347100 | |
| 346400 | |
| 345900 | |
| 345700 | |
| 345600 | |
| 345700 | |
| 345800 | |
| 346000 | |
| 346300 | |
| 346400 | |
| 346400 | |
| 346100 | |
| 345600 | |
| 344700 | |
| 343500 | |
| 342000 | |
| 340000 | |
| 337700 | |
| 335000 | |
| 332100 | |
| 329200 | |
| 326200 | |
| 323500 | |
| 320900 | |
| 318500 | |
| 316400 | |
| 314500 | |
| 313100 | |
| 312100 | |
| 311500 | |
| 311300 | |
| 311300 | |
| 311500 | |
| 311800 | |
| 312200 | |
| 312600 | |
| 313200 | |
| 313900 | |
| 314700 | |
| 315700 | |
| 316800 | |
| 318000 | |
| 319300 | |
| 320900 | |
| 322500 | |
| 324200 | |
| 325900 | |
| 327400 | |
| 328700 | |
| 329900 | |
| 330800 | |
| 331400 | |
| 331900 | |
| 332000 | |
| 331900 | |
| 331600 | |
| 330900 | |
| 329900 | |
| 328400 | |
| 326600 | |
| 324500 | |
| 322300 | |
| 320000 | |
| 317700 | |
| 315600 | |
| 313700 | |
| 312100 | |
| 310900 | |
| 309900 | |
| 309100 | |
| 308500 | |
| 307900 | |
| 307300 | |
| 306600 | |
| 305800 | |
| 304900 | |
| 303900 | |
| 302900 |
Sectors
Sheep, Beef Cattle and Grain Farming is the largest sector in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industry, employing 117,500 workers.
| Employment by industry sectors | Employment |
|---|---|
| Sheep, Beef Cattle and Grain Farming | 117500 |
| Fruit and Tree Nut Growing | 28300 |
| Agriculture and Fishing Support Services | 25900 |
| Mushroom and Vegetable Growing | 15700 |
| Nursery and Floriculture Production | 13200 |
| Other Livestock Farming | 12400 |
| Dairy Cattle Farming | 11200 |
| Other Crop Growing | 7400 |
| Poultry Farming | 7400 |
| Forestry and Logging | 5900 |
| Aquaculture | 4600 |
| Forestry Support Services | 3500 |
| Fishing | 3200 |
| Hunting and Trapping | 700 |
| Deer Farming | 100 |
Occupations
Livestock Farmers is the largest employing occupation in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industry.
The 10 largest employing occupations are shown below.
Some occupations are common across a number of industries.
Largest employing occupations
| ANZSCO Code | Occupation title |
|---|---|
| 1213 | Livestock Farmers |
| 1212 | Crop Farmers |
| 1214 | Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers |
| 8415 | Livestock Farm Workers |
| 8412 | Crop Farm Workers |
| 7211 | Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators |
| 5512 | Bookkeepers |
| 8321 | Packers |
| 8416 | Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers |
| 8419 | Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers |
Data Downloads
Industry data
This file contains data for all 19 industries to make comparing industry data easy. Information available includes:
- industry overview
- industry employment (20-year time series)
- industry sector employment
- top employing occupations by industry.