Farm workers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time farm workers in the UK earned a median £30,101 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 23% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (108th from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £25,601 and £36,139.
Median full-time pay: women £26,383 a year, men £31,070 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 44.8 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 77% of the roughly 35,000 employee jobs are full-time.
From £23,865 in 2021, the median is up 26.1%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 40,700 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £21,736* | £456.40 | £12.21 | £194.20* | £11.49 |
| 20th percentile | £24,803 | £497.00 | £12.25 | £326.20* | £12.21 |
| 25th percentile | £25,601 | £524.50 | £12.46 | £399.10* | £12.26 |
| 30th percentile | £26,499 | £542.90 | £12.61 | £458.70 | £12.40 |
| 40th percentile | £28,160 | £574.90 | £13.00 | £518.20 | £12.81 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £30,101 | £614.50 | £13.45 | £557.70 | £13.23 |
| 60th percentile | £32,134 | £661.80 | £13.98 | £612.60 | £13.73 |
| 70th percentile | £35,436 | £708.80 | £14.62 | £668.90 | £14.48 |
| 75th percentile | £36,139* | £741.60 | £15.00 | £693.70 | £14.92 |
| 80th percentile | £38,591* | £800.90* | £15.49 | £739.90 | £15.30 |
| Mean | £31,902 | £664.40 | £14.15 | £561.90 | £14.02 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £23,865 | £458.00 | £10.10 | £22,274 | £436.70 | 40 |
| 2022 revised | £24,754* | £501.20 | £10.99 | £22,907* | £457.80 | 36 |
| 2023 revised | £26,171 | £503.40 | £11.50 | £23,314 | £460.00 | 34 |
| 2024 revised | £27,229* | £568.40 | £12.50 | £24,799* | £515.60 | 28 |
| 2025 provisional | £30,101 | £614.50 | £13.45 | – | £557.70 | 35 |
Farm workers by region
UK: 40,700 (± 7,800), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What farm workers do
Farm workers perform a variety of tasks, by hand and machine, to produce and harvest crops and to breed and rear cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry. (ONS SOC 2020, 9111)
Also covers: agricultural worker, farm labourer, farm worker, herdsman, poultry catcher, shepherd, agricultural craftsman, agricultural labourer, agricultural operative, cow keeper, dairy hand, egg collector, estate labourer, farm hand, farm handyman, farm help, farmer's wife and gang man (43 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Operates farm machinery to prepare soil, fertilise and treat crops
- Cultivates growing crops by hoeing, spraying and thinning as necessary
- Weighs and measures foodstuffs, feeds animals and checks them for any signs of disease
- Cleans barns, sheds, pens, yards, incubators and breeding units and sterilises milking and other equipment as necessary
- Treats minor ailments, delivers vaccinations and other medicines under the direction of the veterinary surgeon, and assists the veterinary surgeon as required
- Catches, moves, and handles livestock, including in preparation for transport
There are no minimum academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by vocational training at an agricultural college. A variety of vocational qualifications in Agriculture are available at levels 1, 2 and 3, together with BTEC diplomas and apprenticeships in some areas.
Related
Elementary agricultural occupations (median £28,509) · Forestry and related workers · Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations n.e.c. · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026