diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/README.md b/plugins/parsers/avro/README.md
index 78d7bf587..36089f441 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/avro/README.md
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/README.md
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ The message is supposed to be encoded as follows:
   ## Avro data format settings
   data_format = "avro"
 
+  ## Avro message format
+  ## Supported values are "binary" (default) and "json"
+  # avro_format = "binary"
+
   ## Url of the schema registry; exactly one of schema registry and
   ## schema must be set
   avro_schema_registry = "http://localhost:8081"
@@ -83,6 +87,11 @@ The message is supposed to be encoded as follows:
 
 ```
 
+### `avro_format`
+
+This optional setting specifies the format of the Avro messages. Currently, the
+parser supports the `binary` and `json` formats with `binary` being the default.
+
 ### `avro_timestamp` and `avro_timestamp_format`
 
 By default the current time at ingestion will be used for all created
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/parser.go b/plugins/parsers/avro/parser.go
index c6d5ecbdd..44011581c 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/avro/parser.go
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/parser.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ type Parser struct {
 	MetricName      string            `toml:"metric_name"`
 	SchemaRegistry  string            `toml:"avro_schema_registry"`
 	Schema          string            `toml:"avro_schema"`
+	Format          string            `toml:"avro_format"`
 	Measurement     string            `toml:"avro_measurement"`
 	Tags            []string          `toml:"avro_tags"`
 	Fields          []string          `toml:"avro_fields"`
@@ -40,6 +41,15 @@ type Parser struct {
 }
 
 func (p *Parser) Init() error {
+	switch p.Format {
+	case "":
+		p.Format = "binary"
+	case "binary", "json":
+		// Do nothing as those are valid settings
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown 'avro_format' %q", p.Format)
+	}
+
 	if (p.Schema == "" && p.SchemaRegistry == "") || (p.Schema != "" && p.SchemaRegistry != "") {
 		return errors.New("exactly one of 'schema_registry' or 'schema' must be specified")
 	}
@@ -54,6 +64,7 @@ func (p *Parser) Init() error {
 	if p.SchemaRegistry != "" {
 		p.registryObj = newSchemaRegistry(p.SchemaRegistry)
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -93,7 +104,16 @@ func (p *Parser) Parse(buf []byte) ([]telegraf.Metric, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
-	native, _, err := codec.NativeFromBinary(message)
+
+	var native interface{}
+	switch p.Format {
+	case "binary":
+		native, _, err = codec.NativeFromBinary(message)
+	case "json":
+		native, _, err = codec.NativeFromTextual(message)
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown format %q", p.Format)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/expected.out b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dca80eb98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Switch,switch_wwn=10:00:50:EB:1A:0B:84:3A statistics_collection_time=1682509200092i,up_time=1166984904i,cpu_utilization=14.0,memory_utilization=20.0 1682509200092000
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/message.json b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/message.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5420b8718
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/message.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+    "switch_wwn": "10:00:50:EB:1A:0B:84:3A",
+    "statistics_collection_time": 1682509200092,
+    "up_time": 1166984904,
+    "cpu_utilization": 14.0,
+    "memory_utilization": 20.0
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/telegraf.conf b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/telegraf.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d61ece989
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/parsers/avro/testdata/json-format/telegraf.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+[[ inputs.file ]]
+  files = ["./testdata/json-format/message.json"]
+  data_format = "avro"
+
+  avro_format = "json"
+  avro_measurement = "Switch"
+  avro_tags = ["switch_wwn"]
+  avro_fields = ["up_time", "cpu_utilization", "memory_utilization"]
+  avro_timestamp = "statistics_collection_time"
+  avro_timestamp_format = "unix_ms"
+  avro_schema = '''
+        {
+                "namespace": "com.brocade.streaming",
+                "name": "fibrechannel_switch_statistics",
+                "type": "record",
+                "version": "1",
+                "fields": [
+                        {"name": "switch_wwn", "type": "string", "doc": "WWN of the Physical Switch."},
+                        {"name": "statistics_collection_time", "type": "long", "doc": "Epoch time when statistics is collected."},
+                        {"name": "up_time", "type": "long", "doc": "Switch Up Time (in hundredths of a second)"},
+                        {"name": "cpu_utilization", "type": "float", "default": 0, "doc": "CPU Utilization in %"},
+                        {"name": "memory_utilization", "type": "float", "default": 0, "doc": "Memory Utilization in %"}
+                ]
+        }
+  '''
\ No newline at end of file