Farmers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time farmers in the UK earned a median £35,295 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £3,744 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 193rd of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
Median full-time pay: women £28,382 a year, men £37,892 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 42.4 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 71% of the roughly 7,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 34.0% (from £26,339), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 99,700 people in this line of work, 18% of them in South West.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20th percentile | – | – | – | – | – | £12.39* |
| 25th percentile | – | £588.20 | £13.25 | – | – | £12.50 |
| 30th percentile | £31,715* | £612.80 | £13.97 | – | – | £12.94 |
| 40th percentile | £33,544 | £653.70 | £14.93 | £31,224* | £566.50* | £14.47 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £35,295* | £675.80 | £15.48 | £32,728* | £633.50* | £15.23 |
| 60th percentile | £39,658* | £712.20* | £16.74* | £35,511* | £671.10* | £15.82 |
| 70th percentile | – | – | – | – | £706.60* | £17.15* |
| Mean | £38,670 | £752.20 | £16.96 | £33,471 | £619.80 | £16.31 |
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 | £26,339* | £550.00* | £11.67* | £22,291* | £444.10* | 8* |
| 2022 revised | – | £558.50 | £13.04 | – | £530.70 | 9* |
| 2023 revised | £29,783* | £575.90 | £13.34 | £28,874* | £569.30* | 7* |
| 2024 revised | £34,121* | £657.90 | £15.16 | £31,388* | £583.50* | 6* |
| 2025 provisional | £35,295* | £675.80 | £15.48 | £32,728* | £633.50* | 7* |
Farmers by region
UK: 99,700 (± 12,200), April 2025 to March 2026. 8 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South West | 18,100* | ± 4,800 |
| Northern Ireland | 14,800* | ± 3,900 |
| Wales | 11,900* | ± 3,100 |
| Scotland | 10,800* | ± 3,800 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What farmers do
Farmers and related occupations cultivate arable crops, fruits and trees, and raise cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and other livestock for consumption. (ONS SOC 2020, 5111)
Also covers: agricultural contractor, agricultural technician (farming), crofter (farming), farmer, herd manager, agricultural technician, beef farmer, breeder (livestock), breeder (pig), calf rearer, cattle rearer, crop sprayer, dairy farmer, dairy manager, egg producer, estate bailiff, estate steward and farm agent (48 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Feeds and waters animals, takes responsibility for livestock health and welfare, treats minor ailments and calls vet if necessary
- Plants, propagates, sprays, fertilises and harvests field crops
- Undertakes farm maintenance tasks such as fencing, hedging, cleaning and building maintenance
- Operates and maintains farm machinery such as combine harvesters, straw balers, milking machines and tractors
- Arranges for the sale of crops, livestock and other farm produce
- Maintains records of production, finance and breeding
No formal academic qualifications are required, but prior practical farming experience is normally needed. Training is typically received on-the-job and via a variety of vocational qualifications in agriculture, including NVQs/SVQs at levels 1 to 4. Apprenticeships are also available in some areas.
Related
Agricultural and related trades (median £28,980) · Horticultural trades · Gardeners and landscape gardeners · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026