DroverAg job data shows why workers like Sam Byrne head bush

The 25-year-old decided to take a break, and went on to become a farmhand on an operation that spanned 6700 hectares, 4000 cattle and 12,500 Merinos.

"There was a ute, yourself and a shovel, so you didn't have much there," Mr Byrne, who grew up in Melbourne's northern suburbs, said.

After a short stint as a station hand in Queensland, Mr Byrne realised the isolation was not for him, and moved back to Victoria where he took up a farmhand role at Dunkeld.

"I get to work outdoors, I get to work with stock and there's little moments when you might be moving a mob of sheep and you experience a sunrise with your dogs, and that really makes your day," he said.

"It's those little moments that spike up and make you think, 'that's what it's all about'."

New data by recruitment agency DroverAg has revealed Victoria is among the most lucrative states to work in agriculture, and has detailed the top priorities prospective employees look for when considering a career.

It shows employees value the reputation of their employer as one of the highest priorities when searching for a new job.

Opportunities to upskill and whether the business is family-owned are among the other important factors.

The employment surveys of more than 200 agriculture workers, which quizzed everyone from entry-level workers to senior managers, said while salaries were an important aspect of any job, a combination of other factors from training to reputation and status, and location were just as important.

"Salaries used to be the most important thing to employees, but now we're seeing the reputation of the employer and the opportunities as the highest priorities," DroverAg recruitment team leader Dan Burns said.

"We think we've hit a point now where wages are plateauing and people are at a comfortable spot because they can earn good money and save at the same time."

Mr Burns spoke about the endless opportunities for young people in agriculture at a recent forum during the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, and said there had never been a better time to join the sector.

He grew up on two family farms on the Hay Plains, NSW, and near the Snowy River at Cooma, NSW.

He said entry-level positions in agriculture paid between $60,000-$70,000 a year on average, while experienced farm-hand positions ranged from $70,000-$85,000 plus superannuation.

"For me I went to university and my position as a farmhand after that in 2019 was paying $50,000," Mr Burns, who lives at Wagga Wagga, NSW, said.

"I wouldn't have been considered entry-level because I had some experience in agriculture, even though I had a lot to learn.

"I was quite happy with that wage as a starting block and thought I could only progress from there, but now that position is paying up around $70,000."

Thriving commodity prices along with skyrocketing cost of living expenses have driven the rise in average salaries in agriculture.

"You're lucky to live off $50,000 now," Mr Burns said.

"The breaking of the drought at the end of 2021 has also pushed the average wage higher."

DroverAg said the average farmhand worked from 7.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday, but encouraged prospective workers to have an "open mind" about working additional hours and on weekends.

"You have to be able to accommodate some weekend work, because if you scratch your employer's back, they will scratch yours in quieter times," Mr Burns said.

He said southern Australia was the most lucrative region to work in agriculture in Australia.

"Victoria is forward-thinking, and farmers are up-to-date with what they want to pay people," Mr Burns said.

"There are also a lot of opportunities in Victoria to be successful in the agriculture industry.

"Once you get up into the station work in the north, you don't get paid as much as the southern climates, but working in the north is more of a lifestyle choice."

Meanwhile, in western Victoria, Mr Byrne now works as the livestock manager for Merrin Agriculture at Penshurst, a family-owned cattle and sheep operation which comprises 8000 sheep and 800 cows.

"I've fallen in love with the industry," Mr Byrne said.

"The pay wasn't great when I started off, but it's probably about right where it is with the role I'm in now."

Mr Byrne encouraged young people to consider a gap year after leaving school or university.

"More gap-year programs should be advertised, but you don't get any information about them in the city or in the news," he said.

"Working in ag is a good gig: I get a good house out of it, a place where I hunt, run and train dogs or if I want to ride bikes around the property, I can do it on farm.

"On the other hand, I get a new challenge everyday from getting a mob of sheep through a gateway, to dealing with contractors or the local ag merchant."