Career profile Β· live from the Careermash careers engine
Research / problem-solving

Farmworker

A farmworker helps run a farm, with tasks across crops, animals and machinery depending on the season and type of farm. It is hands-on outdoor work that suits practical, hardy people who like being outside, don't mind early starts and enjoy seeing the results of their labour.
No degree needed for many routesApprenticeship routeEntry routes with no formal quals
Apprenticeship route
0
AI impact
how much AI is reshaping it
Robin Β· your guide
Curious about being a farmworker? Here's the honest picture - what you'd really do, what you'd earn, and every way in. No need to decide anything yet.

What you'd actually do

The work varies hugely with the season - planting and harvesting crops, feeding and caring for animals, driving tractors, mending fences and keeping the farm running. Physical fitness, reliability and a willingness to work in all weathers matter, along with picking up practical skills with machinery and livestock.

Hours are long and seasonal, often starting at dawn and including weekends, especially at harvest or lambing time, and pay commonly starts around the minimum or agricultural wage. The work is physically demanding and weather-dependent, but rewarding for people who love the outdoors and rural life.

Many people start with no qualifications and learn on the job, while agricultural apprenticeships and college courses can speed things up. A driving or tractor licence is often useful, and experience can lead to skilled roles or farm management.

1Feed, check and care for animals
2Plant, tend and harvest crops
3Operate tractors and farm machinery
4Mend fences, gates and buildings
5Move and store produce or feed
6Work to the season's demands
7Keep equipment and yards clean and safe

Degrees that lead here via Agriculture

Apprenticeships that lead here

How to get in - your routes

Careermash Β· your kind of work, the careers in it, and every route in - all in one place.

Career data: role, pay and progression profiles built for Careermash's careers engine; AI-impact estimates from Anthropic's observed AI-usage telemetry and OpenAI's AI Jobs Transition Framework. Course data: HESA / Discover Uni, including Graduate Outcomes, LEO and the National Student Survey. Apprenticeships: IfATE-published standards, approved only.

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