How to become a farmer
Farmer is a recognised UK career with multiple routes in for both school-leavers and career-changers. Entry-level pay sits around £24,000 - £28,000, mid-career roles earn £30,000 - £45,000, senior or specialist farmers earn £50,000 - £100,000+ (owner / large estate). This guide covers the realistic route in, what you can earn employed and self-employed, and whether the work fits how you like to spend your day.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £24,000 - £28,000 (farm worker)
- Mid-career salary
- £30,000 - £45,000 (manager)
- Senior salary
- £50,000 - £100,000+ (owner / large estate)
- Work environment
- Outdoors, all weather, long days
- Time to entry
- 1 - 5 years
- Degree required
- Helpful (agriculture)
- Category
- Skilled Trades
Compare pay across careers in the UK salaries by career report. Also in: High-paying careers, Career change.
What a Farmer does
Run or work on a farm - crops, livestock, machinery, business.
How to become a farmer in the UK
The route into farmer work in the UK is more flexible than people assume. Most people combine a relevant qualification (college course, apprenticeship, or short professional certification) with hands-on experience - typically an entry-level role or work placement. Time to first paid role is typically 1 - 5 years.
- Get practical experience through seasonal work such as lambing, harvest or milking relief, or weekend work on a local farm.
- Take a Level 2 or Level 3 agriculture course or apprenticeship at a land-based college, covering livestock, crops and machinery.
- Gain machinery and safety training, such as tractor and telehandler courses, and the PA1 certificate plus the right application module if you will use pesticides.
- Join a local Young Farmers' Club to meet farmers, hear about jobs and take part in skills training and competitions.
- Move up to herd, unit or farm manager roles, learning budgets, records and the farm support schemes that apply in your part of the UK.
- If you want your own farm, look into county council farm tenancies, share farming or contract farming, which offer ways in without buying land.
| Route | How long | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm worker, learning on the job | Start within weeks | Paid role | Getting started quickly |
| Agriculture apprenticeship | 1-2 years | Paid, training funded | School leavers |
| Agriculture college diploma or degree | 2-4 years | Tuition fee loan or college fees | Future farm managers |
| Tenancy, share farming or family succession | Varies | Capital needed for stock and machinery | Running your own farm |
How long it takes
You can start as a farm worker within weeks. Moving up to manage a unit or a whole farm usually takes 1 to 5 years, depending on your experience and qualifications.
Farmer salary in the UK
Entry-level farmer roles in the UK pay £24,000 - £28,000 (farm worker). Mid-career farmers earn £30,000 - £45,000 (manager). Senior or specialist farmers earn £50,000 - £100,000+ (owner / large estate). Pay varies by region (London and the South East typically sit at the top of the range), employer, and specialism. Self-employed farmers set their own rates and can earn meaningfully more per hour than employed equivalents once they have a steady client base, though year one income is typically lower while you build up.
Is farmer a good career?
Farmer can be a strong career choice in the UK if it matches how you actually like to work. On stability: variable, weather and market exposed. Competition for roles is generally low. Day-to-day environment: outdoors, all weather, long days. The honest answer depends on your personality and priorities - the trade-offs (hours, responsibility, pace) matter as much as the salary.
Key skills
- Practical skills
- Animal / crop knowledge
- Machinery
- Resilience
Farmer FAQs
How do I become a farmer in the UK?
The route into farmer work in the UK is more flexible than people assume. Most people combine a relevant qualification (college course, apprenticeship, or short professional certification) with hands-on experience - typically an entry-level role or work placement. Time to first paid role is typically 1 - 5 years.
How much do farmers earn in the UK?
Entry-level farmer roles in the UK pay £24,000 - £28,000 (farm worker). Mid-career farmers earn £30,000 - £45,000 (manager). Senior or specialist farmers earn £50,000 - £100,000+ (owner / large estate). Pay varies by region (London and the South East typically sit at the top of the range), employer, and specialism. Self-employed farmers set their own rates and can earn meaningfully more per hour than employed equivalents once they have a steady client base, though year one income is typically lower while you build up.
Do you need a degree to be a farmer?
For most farmer roles in the UK: helpful (agriculture). There are usually no shortcuts around the formal qualification requirement, though apprenticeship and degree-apprenticeship routes (paid throughout) are an alternative to the traditional university path.
Is farmer a good career in the UK?
Farmer can be a strong career choice in the UK if it matches how you actually like to work. On stability: variable, weather and market exposed. Competition for roles is generally low. Day-to-day environment: outdoors, all weather, long days. The honest answer depends on your personality and priorities - the trade-offs (hours, responsibility, pace) matter as much as the salary.
Is Farmer right for you?
Career Compass ranks careers from your interests and priorities and explains every suggestion, with UK routes and trade-offs. See how well Farmer actually fits you. £19.99 once, full report included.
Still deciding whether farmer is the career for you? Here is which career test is actually worth taking, and what a free quiz will not tell you.