Agronomist salary: awards, minimum wage and what the index shows

Agronomist salary: where the floor sits and what the index suggests

If you are looking for a single, official figure for an agronomist salary in Australia, the short answer is: there isn't one published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Fair Work Ombudsman, or the Australian Taxation Office. The occupation exists — ABS code 244133 — but its earnings are not separately reported in public datasets. That does not mean the question is unanswerable. By looking at the award system, the national minimum wage, and the Salary Index, you can build a picture of where agronomist pay sits against the national line.

The award floor and the national minimum wage

Agronomists advise on crop and livestock production, soil improvement, pest control, and animal nutrition. The work is professional and technical, so it often falls under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award or, for those in sales, the Pastoral Award. But the award classification for an agronomist is not spelled out in a single line. The Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guides list minimum rates for health professionals, but those rates depend on the level (e.g., Level 1, Level 2) and the type of work. Without a specific classification, the safest floor is the national minimum wage.

From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, annualised to $52,255. That gives an index of 48.2 — less than half the national line of $108,352 (index 100). No qualified agronomist would be paid that little, but it is the legal minimum for any adult employee not covered by a higher award or agreement. Award minima rose 4.75% from 1 July 2026, and the entry-level award floor is $25.74 per hour. Casual employees get a loading of $33.05 per hour.

What the index says about professional pay

Agronomists work in the professional, scientific and technical services industry. The Salary Index for that industry is 114.7, which annualises to about $124,260. That is above the national line. State indexes also vary: Western Australia sits at 106.9 ($115,825), the ACT at 109.9 ($119,090), and New South Wales at 101.2 ($109,658). Victoria and Queensland are slightly below the line at 98 and 97.9 respectively. These are benchmarks, not quotes for a specific job, but they suggest that agronomist salaries are likely above average, especially in mining-intensive states where agricultural advisory roles may overlap with resources.

How the Salary Index works

The Salary Index compares a yearly gross salary to the national line. The line is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Average Weekly Earnings for full-time adult ordinary-time employees. In May 2026, that was $2,083.70 per week, annualised to $108,352. Index 100 is that figure. If an agronomist earns $120,000, the index is 110.8. If they earn $95,000, the index is 87.7. The index lets you see where a pay figure sits relative to the average, regardless of industry or state. How the index works explains the calculation in more detail.

What the data does not tell us

The ABS does not publish average earnings for agronomists separately. The What Jobs Pay and Job Markets Australia earnings series estimates average weekly full-time earnings by occupation, but the latest available data (to 2025) does not isolate agronomist from the broader group of agricultural scientists. The series uses Census and survey data, but the estimates are not current enough to rely on for 2026. The Fair Work Ombudsman's pay guides cover awards, but no award has a specific "agronomist" classification. That means any salary figure you see online is likely a market estimate, not a regulated minimum.

Super, tax, and take-home pay

Super guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2026, with a maximum contribution base of $270,830. That means on a $120,000 salary, the employer contributes $14,400 to super. For tax, the 2026-27 resident rates are: nil up to $18,200; 15% to $45,000; 30% to $135,000; 37% to $190,000; 45% above. Medicare levy is 2%. On $120,000, the estimated tax (excluding Medicare) is about $26,467, plus $2,400 Medicare levy, leaving a take-home of about $91,133. These figures ignore HELP repayments, salary sacrifice, and the Medicare levy surcharge.

Practical steps to find your agronomist salary

If you are an employer or employee trying to set a salary, start with the applicable award. Check the pay guides on the Fair Work Ombudsman site for the Health Professionals Award or the Pastoral Award. If the role is covered by an enterprise agreement, that agreement sets the minimum. For market rates, look at job advertisements for agronomist roles in your state. The states page on Salary Index shows how local economies affect pay. For example, an agronomist in Western Australia might earn more than one in Tasmania, reflecting the state index difference of 106.9 versus 88.6.

The bottom line

Agronomist salary is not a fixed number in public records. The award floor and national minimum wage set a low baseline, but professional pay in the sector is well above that. The industry index of 114.7 and state variations give a rough guide. If you have a specific salary figure, plug it into the Salary Index to see where it sits against the national line. That is the most honest answer the data can give.

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This article uses the Salary Index methodology described on the method page. All figures are gross ordinary-time benchmarks unless stated otherwise. Take-home estimates are for a resident with the tax-free threshold and a flat 2% Medicare levy, excluding HELP, salary sacrifice, and surcharges.