Vegetable Growers

ANZSCO ID 121221

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
6,200
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
74%
Female Share
31%
Average age
47

Summary

Vegetable Growers manage farming, greenhouse and market garden operations to grow vegetables.

Specialisations: Market Gardener (Vegetables).

Crop production experience is usually needed to work as a Vegetable Grower. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in horticulture or agriculture.

Tasks

  • Co-ordinates production and marketing of crops, from soil preparation through to harvest, taking into account environmental and market factors.

  • Plants seeds and seedlings as well as grafts new varieties to root stocks.

  • Maintains crop production by cultivating, de-budding and pruning, as well as maintaining optimal growing conditions.

  • Conducts market garden operations, such as collecting, storing, grading and packaging produce, and organising the sale, purchase and dispatch of produce.

  • Directs and oversees general activities such as fertilising and the control of pests and weeds.

  • Maintains buildings, fences, equipment and water supply systems.

  • Maintains and evaluates records of activities, monitoring market activity, and planning crop preparation and production to meet contract requirements and market demand.

  • Manages business capital including budgeting, taxation, debt and loan management.

  • May select, train and supervise staff and contractors.

Characteristics

Job Type
Managers
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy
  • Very Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Crop Farmers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 74% of people employed as Vegetable Growers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 8 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 52 hours per week in their main job. This is 8 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
94.7%
2
Retail Trade
1.6%
3
Administrative and Support Services
0.9%
4
Wholesale Trade
0.6%
5
Other industries
1.1%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

24.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

21.9% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

15.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

11.0% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

4.3% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.4% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Vegetable Growers All Jobs Average
NSW 24.7 31.6
VIC 21.9 25.6
QLD 21.4 20.0
SA 15.1 7.0
WA 11.0 10.8
TAS 4.3 2.0
NT 1.4 1.0
ACT 0.1 1.9


  • Around 53% of Vegetable Growers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    South Australia has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
47
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
31%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Vegetable Growers is 47 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 31% of the workforce. This is 17 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Vegetable Growers All Jobs Average
15-19 1.3 5.0
20-24 4.5 9.3
25-34 16.1 22.9
35-44 20.8 22.0
45-54 26.0 21.6
55-59 12.5 9.0
60-64 9.0 6.0
65 and Over 9.8 4.2
Median Age 47 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Crop production experience is usually needed to work as a Vegetable Grower. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in horticulture or agriculture.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation & Land Management VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Vegetable Growers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.2 10.1
Bachelor degree 7.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 6.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 12.4 21.1
Year 12 22.5 18.1
Year 11 6.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 43.8 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Crop Farmers who can communicate and connect well with others and who are reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 52%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 50%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 50%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 50%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 50%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 48%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 48%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 48%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 48%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 46%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 46%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 46%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 45%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 45%

    Management of material resources

    Providing the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 43%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 41%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 73%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 67%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 65%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 65%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 63%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 59%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 58%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 57%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 55%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 53%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 53%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 52%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 51%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 47%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 46%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 46%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 45%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 41%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 40%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 33%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 55%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 52%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 52%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 50%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 50%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 50%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 48%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 46%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 43%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 43%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 41%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 39%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 38%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 38%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 38%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 78%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 75%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 74%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 74%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 73%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 71%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 70%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 68%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 67%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 65%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 65%

    Hiring and organising staff

    Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees.

  • 65%

    Managing payments and orders

    Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.

  • 65%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 63%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 63%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 62%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 62%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 59%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 59%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 51%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 86%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 67%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 38%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 33%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 76%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 67%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 52%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 97%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 96%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 96%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 95%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 95%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 89%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 87%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 87%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 86%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 85%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 85%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 84%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 79%

    Outdoors, under cover

    Work outdoors, under cover (e.g., in an open shed).

  • 78%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 78%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

  • 75%

    In an open vehicle or equipment

    Work in an open vehicle (e.g., a tractor).

  • 73%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 70%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 69%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 11-9013.01 - Nursery and Greenhouse Managers.


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