Farm worker
Look after animals, grow organic crops and operate energy-efficient machinery on a farm.
Also known as: farmer, farm labourer, agricultural worker, agricultural labourer
About the job
A day in the life – Farm worker
What it's like
You would do practical and manual work on a farm. You could look after animals like cows, chickens or pigs or grow and harvest crops.
You’d operate farm machinery and do general repairs.
You could work on one of three main types of farm:
livestock, dealing with animals
arable, growing crops
mixed, producing both animals and crops
Your work would vary depending on the type of farm and the time of year.
If you work with livestock, your tasks might include:
feeding the animals
cleaning (mucking out) the buildings they are kept in
caring for sick or newborn livestock
using milking machines with dairy cows
On an arable farm, your tasks might include:
ploughing fields
sowing seeds
spreading fertiliser
spraying crops with pesticides or weedkillers
harvesting the crops
There are lots of other general tasks you’d do regardless of what type of farm you work on.
Your tasks might include:
operating farm machinery and vehicles such as tractors and combine harvesters
maintaining and repairing farm buildings
laying and trimming hedges
digging and clearing ditches
putting up and mending fences
Your work would be supervised by the farm owner, manager, supervisor or landowner. You might also supervise casual staff and agricultural contractors.
You’d need to develop technical knowledge for using the machinery and have an awareness of health and safety.
Green job
In this job you'll be doing work to help the environment. Find out more about green jobs.
Hours
Farming is seasonal and some times of the year are busier than others. You would normally work at least 39 hours per week, and you will be expected to work paid overtime when necessary. Early mornings, evenings and weekend work are all common. There are also opportunities for part-time and casual work.
Environment
Most jobs involve working outdoors in all weather conditions. Farm work can be dirty and dusty and would not suit people who suffer from allergies such as hay fever.
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Food and drink Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- autocad
- civil engineering
- concrete forming
- design brief
- working drawings
- building information modeling
- calculations
- autodesk revit
- mechanical engineering
- project management
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking initiative
- attention to detail
- social conscience
- working with numbers
- verbal communication
- cooperating
- resilience
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Environmental Science
Skills for Work: Rural Skills
There are no set qualifications required to become a farm worker,but it helps to have an interest in farming and working outdoors.
You may be able to train through a Modern Apprenticeship. This combines on-the-job and off-the-job training leading to relevant Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).
You could do a college course before starting work, for example a National Certificate (NC) in agriculture or relevant SVQ at level 2.
Experience of working on a farm, for example from a weekend or holiday job, dairy work or crop picking would be useful.
Qualifications that include relevant work experience such as Skills for Work Rural Skills (SCQF level 4) may be of value.
Once in work you can gain relevant qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Agriculture (SVQ 2/3).
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