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Explore all careersHow do I become a Station Hand?
Get qualified to work as a Station Hand with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.
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Common questions
In Australia, a full time Station Hand generally earns $1,200 per week ($62,400 annual salary) before tax. This is a median figure for full-time employees and should be considered a guide only. As you gain more experience you can expect a potentially higher salary than people who are new to the industry.
Courses.com.au Team
There are about 31,500 people working as livestock farm workers in Australia, but many of these will be working on smaller farms rather than large cattle or sheep stations. The number of people working in this industry is expected to increase slightly over the next five years. Station Hands will need to travel to remote areas of Australia to find work.
Source: The Labour Market Information Portal – 2019 Occupation Projections
Courses.com.au Team
A Certificate II or III in Agriculture is a good qualification to consider if you’re thinking about becoming a Station Hand. You could also do a Certificate III in Rural Operations. The length of the course will vary, but will involve both theory and practical work.
Courses.com.au Team
Further reading
Most popular agriculture courses
8th April 2022
How to start a career in Warehousing
3rd November 2021All station hand courses
- AMPSS00018 Game Harvester Skill Set
- FWPCOT2259 & FWPCOT2254 Use and Maintain Chainsaws
- AHC33316 Certificate III in Feedlot Operations
- AHC30122 Certificate III in Agriculture
- 22516VIC Course in Minimising Risks in the Use of 1080 & PAPP Bait Products for Vertebrate Pest Control
- AHC30221 Certificate III in Dairy Production
- AHCMOM216 Operate Side By Side Utility Vehicles
- AHC20122 Certificate II in Agriculture
- AHC30122 Certificate III in Agriculture (Traineeship)
- AHCMOM304 Operate Machinery and Equipment
- AHC10222 Certificate I in Agriculture
- AHCMOM207 Conduct Front-End Loader Operations
- AHC30216 Certificate III in Agriculture (Dairy Production)
- AHCWHS302 Contribute to Workplace Health and Safety Processes
- AHC32822 Certificate III in Rural Operations
- FWPCOT2259 Cut Materials with a Hand-held Chainsaw
- FWPCOT3329 Perform Complex Four Wheel Drive Operations
- AHC21316 Certificate II in Shearing
- AHCPMG309 Apply Pest Animal Control Techniques
- AHCPMG312 Apply Poison Baits for Vertebrate Pest Control in Rural and Environmental Landscapes
Station Hand careers
A station hand is hired to help with the daily duties on a large agricultural property. Your work will depend a lot on the type of station you’re working on and the time of year. You’ll be busy though and a typical day may be spent mustering sheep, fixing fences or operating agricultural machinery. You might have to care for livestock, maintain equipment or work in the cattle yards. Every day will be different but if you enjoy getting your hands dirty, this could be the job for you.
Life on a station can be demanding so you’ll need to be ready to work hard. A Station Hand is required to do a lot of physical work, including heavy lifting so make sure you’re capable of manual labour. Your daily work will be varied so Station Hands need to be flexible. You’ll need to be good at working with animals and ready to use a range of equipment. You’ll usually be working as part of a larger group of Station Hands so teamwork skills are important.
