// AUSTRALIAN TRADIE RATES AND BENCHMARKS 2026
How much do gardeners charge per hour in Australia?
As of August 2026, gardeners in Australia charge $40 to $100 per hour, averaging $68.19, while landscapers average $80.12 per hour. Day rates average about $575. There is no standard call-out fee; most gardeners set per-task minimums instead, from about $70.
Last updated: 7 August 2026. Sources: 6 industry datasets.
// THE DATA
Hourly rates in detail
Gardening splits into two markets with two price levels. General gardeners average $68.19 per hour from $27 (ServiceSeeking, 10 Feb 2026) inside an overall $40 to $100 band, with ServiceTasker putting basic tasks at $30 to $50 per hour and skilled work at $50 to $80. Landscapers price higher: an $80.12 hourly average from $40, with 43% of landscaping jobs quoted hourly and per-square-metre landscaping work averaging $116.99.
| Rate | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National range | $40 to $100 per hour | ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025; ServiceSeeking range overlaps |
| Gardener average | $68.19 per hour | ServiceSeeking, 10 Feb 2026 (average from $27 per hour) |
| Landscaper average* | $80.12 per hour, from $40 | ServiceSeeking, 24 Mar 2026 |
| NSW* | $55 to $85 per hour | ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025 |
| VIC* | $40 to $75 per hour | ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025 |
| QLD* | $50 to $70 per hour | ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025 |
| WA* | $40 to $65 per hour | ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025 |
| SA* | $43 to $60 per hour | ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025 |
| TAS* | $40 to $45 per hour | ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025 |
| ACT* | $49 to $55 per hour | ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025 |
Rows marked * are single-sourced; treat them as indicative rather than settled benchmarks.
Geographic rows show the gardener hourly range by state (2025 page) (ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025).
State bars: ServiceTasker, 27 Mar 2025, single-sourced. Shaded band: the $40 to $100 national range. Dot: ServiceSeeking 2026 average.
Prices are what customers are quoted, including GST where the business is registered.
Airtasker's per-task figures (updated 19 Jun 2026) put general gardening at $130 to $260 per task across the capitals, and lawn mowing at $80 to $150 per visit. They are quoted per task rather than per hour, which is how most small gardening work is actually bought.
For a self-employed gardener the band reads differently. The award floor of $29.45 an hour, $32.98 with super, is what an employee costs before a single overhead or unbillable hour is paid for, so charging near the $40 bottom of the band leaves almost nothing for the business itself. Viable self-employed rates sit closer to the $68.19 average, and the calculator further down this page works out the exact number.
| Rate | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney* | $180 to $260 per task | Airtasker, updated 19 Jun 2026 |
| Melbourne* | $170 to $250 per task | Airtasker, updated 19 Jun 2026 |
| Brisbane* | $150 to $220 per task | Airtasker, updated 19 Jun 2026 |
| Perth* | $160 to $240 per task | Airtasker, updated 19 Jun 2026 |
| Adelaide* | $140 to $210 per task | Airtasker, updated 19 Jun 2026 |
| Hobart* | $130 to $200 per task | Airtasker, updated 19 Jun 2026 |
| Lawn mowing* | $80 to $150 per visit | Airtasker, updated 19 Jun 2026 |
Rows marked * are single-sourced and quoted per task, not per hour, which is how most small gardening work is bought.
Quick job cost estimator
$160 to $400 around $273 at the typical rate
Slider estimate uses the sourced $40 to $100 hourly range above. Real quotes depend on access, green waste volume and travel.
// MINIMUM CHARGES
Minimum charges
No published call-out fee market exists for gardeners; the floor takes the form of per-task minimums instead. The one dated figure is Airtasker's $70 minimum task price (19 Jun 2026, single-sourced). In practice, small jobs are priced as tasks rather than hours, which does the same work a call-out fee does for other trades.
Worked example: half-day garden tidy, Brisbane
- 4 hrs general gardening at $68.19/hr average
- $272.76
- Airtasker per-task benchmark, Brisbane
- $150 to $220
- Lawn mowing add-on, per visit
- $80 to $150
Illustrative worked example combining the sourced figures above; it is a derivation, not a published statistic.
// DAY RATES
Day rates
Day rates are well supported here because two adjacent markets agree: gardeners average $574.90 per day from $120 (ServiceSeeking, with 77% of gardening jobs quoted hourly and 11% per day), and landscapers average $577.39 per day from $350. When two independent figures land within three dollars of each other, the number is worth trusting.
| Rate | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gardener average | $574.90 per day, from $120 | ServiceSeeking, 10 Feb 2026 (11% of jobs quoted per day) |
| Landscaper average | $577.39 per day, from $350 | ServiceSeeking, 24 Mar 2026 |
// THE COST FLOOR
Why rates are what they are: the cost floor
An employed gardener's award minimum wage is $29.45 per hour (Fair Work, Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020 (MA000101), 2026). The rate a gardener business charges customers is $40 to $100 per hour. The difference pays for the ute, insurance, tools, super, unbillable hours and the business's risk.
The gap pays for the ute, insurance, tools, super, unbillable hours and the business's risk.
A trade-qualified gardener's award floor of $29.45 an hour rises to $32.98 with 12% super, before mowers, trailer, fuel or a wet week without work are paid for. At a $40 hourly charge that leaves about $7 an hour to cover every overhead, so viable rates run well past $50.
The $32.98 employee-cost figure is a derivation, the award hourly rate multiplied by 1.12 for the Superannuation Guarantee, not a published statistic. Award classification: Level 4 (trade-qualified per Schedule A.5.1: horticulture apprenticeship, Cert III, or 3+ yrs equivalent).
// FREE TOOL
Work out your own rate
Whether you call yourself a gardener or a landscaper moves the market band by more than $10 an hour, but the cost side is the same mowers, trailer and fuel. The calculator works out the rate your setup actually requires, whatever the job title says.
Charge-out rate and day rate calculator Opens with the gardener / landscaper preset loadedCharging right but still not booked out? Web Blend builds websites and lead systems for gardeners.
See the Lead System →// COMMON QUESTIONS
Gardener and landscaper rate questions
Straight answers to the questions people actually search, from the same dataset as the tables above.
Get in touchHow much does a gardener charge per hour in Australia?
As of August 2026, gardeners charge $40 to $100 per hour, with a published average of $68.19. Basic tasks run $30 to $50 per hour and skilled work $50 to $80. NSW has the highest state range at $55 to $85.
What should a self-employed gardener charge per hour?
More than the award numbers suggest. An employed gardener's award floor is $29.45 per hour, or $32.98 once super is added, but a self-employed rate also has to cover overheads and every unbillable hour spent quoting, travelling or rained off. That is why the market band runs $40 to $100 and a viable self-employed rate lands nearer the $68.19 average than the floor. The charge-out rate calculator at /tools/charge-out-rate-calculator/?trade=gardener works out the exact rate your costs require.
How much do landscapers charge per hour?
Landscapers average $80.12 per hour, from $40, with 43% of landscaping jobs quoted hourly (ServiceSeeking, March 2026). Per-square-metre landscaping averages $116.99, and landscaper day rates average $577.39 from $350 per day.
What is the minimum charge for a gardener?
Gardeners generally set per-task minimums rather than call-out fees. Airtasker enforces a $70 minimum task price (June 2026, single-sourced), and general gardening tasks in the capitals commonly run $130 to $260 depending on the city.
How much does lawn mowing cost?
Published marketplace figures put lawn mowing at $80 to $150 per visit (Airtasker, June 2026). The price moves with lawn size, edging and green waste removal, so quotes for the same block can sit anywhere inside that band.
Do gardeners charge a day rate?
Yes, though most work is hourly: 77% of gardening jobs are quoted hourly and 11% per day. The average gardener day rate is $574.90 from $120, closely matching the landscaper average of $577.39.
Do gardeners charge GST on top?
Where the business is registered for GST, quoted prices are generally inclusive, and the figures on this page follow that convention. Smaller part-time gardeners may not be registered, in which case their quotes carry no GST at all.
// METHODOLOGY & SOURCES
Sources and methodology
Ranges on this page combine 6 published Australian datasets and cost guides, cross-checked on 7 August 2026; award wage floors come from official Fair Work pay guides effective 1 July 2026. This page is part of the Australian Tradie Rates and Benchmarks dataset. This dataset is reviewed and republished every July following the Fair Work annual wage review.
- ServiceSeeking, average gardener prices 2026
Page date: Published 10 Feb 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- ServiceTasker, gardener cost guide
Page date: Published 27 Mar 2025. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- ServiceSeeking, landscaper prices 2026
Page date: Published 24 Mar 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- Airtasker, gardener cost guide
Page date: Updated 19 Jun 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- Fair Work pay guide, MA000101 (effective 1 Jul 2026)
Page date: Pay guide dated 24 Jun 2026. Accessed 7 August 2026.
- Fair Work, MA000101 award (Level 4 classification confirmation)
Page date: Current award text. Accessed 7 August 2026.
Every figure on this page with its range, unit and source. Free to reuse with attribution and a link.
// KEEP EXPLORING