Farm Worker
Also advertised as: Agricultural Worker, Farm Operative, Farm Worker, Harvest Operative, Herdsperson, Livestock Assistant
Works on crops or livestock, operating machinery and keeping the farm running.
What the job involves
Farm workers cover everything from livestock husbandry and calving to drilling, spraying and harvest. Modern farms rely on machinery and data as much as manual work, and skilled operators with sprayer or telehandler tickets are in demand.
Typical responsibilities
- Care for livestock or manage crops
- Operate tractors and farm machinery
- Maintain fences, buildings and equipment
- Record yields, treatments and compliance data
- Support harvest and seasonal peaks
Common employers
- Arable and livestock farms
- Estates
- Contracting firms
- Agricultural cooperatives
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£21,000 – £26,000 a year
With experience
£28,000 – £36,000 a year
Typical hours
Long and seasonal, with very early starts
Working environment
Outdoors in all weather
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Machinery operation
- Livestock husbandry
- Practical maintenance
- Record keeping
- Physical stamina
Transferable skills you may already have
- Driving and machinery
- Outdoor manual work
- Early starts
Requirements employers ask for
- Machinery operation
- Livestock husbandry
- Practical maintenance
- Record keeping
- Physical stamina
- No formal qualification required
- Driving licence
- Pesticide certificates for spraying
Useful but not essential
- Driving and machinery
- Outdoor manual work
- Early starts
- Level 2 or 3 Agriculture
- PA1 and PA2 spraying certificates
- Telehandler and ATV tickets
Helpful qualifications
- Level 2 or 3 Agriculture
- PA1 and PA2 spraying certificates
- Telehandler and ATV tickets
Licences and checks
- Driving licence
- Pesticide certificates for spraying
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- General Farm Worker (Level 2)
- Livestock Unit Technician (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Agriculture
- Related subject: Land management
Where this career can lead
next
Farm Foreman
next
Farm Manager
next
Agronomy Assistant
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Skilled machinery tickets raise pay quickly
- Outdoor and physical
- Housing sometimes included
What people find hard
- Long seasonal hours
- Weather dependent and physically hard
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a farm worker?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a farm worker earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £21,000 to £26,000 a year, rising towards £36,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Driving and machinery, Outdoor manual work, Early starts.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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