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Agriculture

Farm worker Green Job

Farm workers raise livestock and use machinery to plant and harvest crops.

Annual Salary

£18,000 to £25,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

46 to 48 variable

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; flexibly

0.9%
Future employment

There will be 0.9% fewer Farm worker jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

Your day-to-day duties will depend on the time of year and the type of farm you work on.

You could:

  • feed and look after farm animals
  • treat animals and crops to prevent disease
  • plough fields, sow seeds and harvest crops
  • operate and repair farm machinery like tractors, ploughs and milking machinery on dairy farms
  • maintain farm buildings
  • trim hedges, clear drains and ditches and mend fences and walls

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work on a farm.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers, dusty and dirty.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly
College

You could take a course at an agricultural college, such as:

  • Level 1 Certificate in Practical Farm Animal Care Skills
  • Level 2 Extended Certificate in Agriculture
  • Level 3 Diploma in Agriculture
  • T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production

Courses combine theory and practical skills and include units on crop production, animal husbandry and operating farm machinery.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
For more information
Apprenticeship

The following apprenticeships might be relevant depending on the type of farming you're interested in:

  • general farm worker intermediate apprenticeship
  • poultry worker intermediate apprenticeship
  • poultry technician advanced apprenticeship
  • livestock unit technician advanced apprenticeship

It will usually take 12 to 18 months to complete one of these apprenticeships.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
For more information
Direct application

There is no particular qualification you need to become a farm worker but it might help if you:

  • have an interest in farming
  • enjoy working outdoors
  • have experience of working on a farm from a weekend or holiday job

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • You may need a driving licence for some jobs.
  • have a good level of fitness

More information

Career tips

It might help to have some basic skills in mechanics.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in farming and agriculture from Tasty Careers and The Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture.

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With qualifications and experience, you could:supervise or manage a large farm, though you may have to move between farms to get experience or a promotion; work as a contractor to maintain machinery or supply services to more than one farm; work on agricultural equipment and supplies

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • physical skills like strength, balance and coordination
  • the ability to work on your own
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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