How much can i earn?

http://www.picknz.co.nz/info.php?a=4&t=SK

Piece Work
Harvesting e.g. apple picking is usually done on a piece work basis in NZ. This means that you are paid a predefined rate for each bin you fill. The rate is set and usually reflects the difficulty of the work. The more challenging the work, the higher the rate.

Higher piece rates will usually be paid for:
- fruit harvested from larger trees with smaller fruit e.g. apples
- fruit harvested into larger bins which take longer to fill
- lower quality fruit requiring more care in harvesting

Lower piece rates will usually indicate that:
- the crop is easier to harvest and more mature fruit is available
- the fruit is better quality and easier to handle
- the fruit is harvested into smaller bins

The kiwifruit harvest is also usually done on a piece work basis. However, kiwifruit pickers tend to work in groups (gangs) and split the days (or weeks) earnings evenly within the gang.

The advantages of piece work are that, on good picking days, you can make much more than the standard hourly rate - sometimes up to twice or three times as much. You can also work your own hours within reason and you can work at your own pace depending on the amount you wish to earn.

Essentially, the harder you work and the more you pick, the more you will earn on piecework. As a rule of thumb, an average picker can fill three to four bins a day at an average rate of $30 per bin. Good pickers can fill 5-8 bins a day.

However, picking is physically demanding so please be prepared to be fit or get fit fast while on the job! It can also take a few days to get your picking skills and speed up.
Hourly Work

Some work is more usually paid on an hourly basis - including tractor driving, (picking up the bins harvested by the field pickers), quality controlling (ensure the pickers are picking the fruit to the required standard), pack house and processing work - where the fruit is graded and packaged in readiness for exporting.

The benefits of hourly work are:
- a more predictable income
- regular hours of work
- less variance in pay

The main disadvantage of hourly work is that there is no opportunity to make more money by working hard. Average hourly rates for graders and packers in a pack house would be around $10 an hour (before tax).