The route, drawn out
DWG D6FA · 5 stops · 2 years to qualify-
Day one Start as an apprentice from £15.6k
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Year 2 Training continues, pay rises min. £21.2k+
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2 years Fully qualified around £23k
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+3–5 years Experienced up to £34k
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Then Level 3 livestock or crop technician next step
The first figures are legal minimums: the apprentice rate (£8.00/hr) and the National Minimum Wage for 18–20s and 21+ from April 2026, on a 37.5-hour week. Qualified and experienced pay are indicative UK ranges — most employers pay apprentices above the minimum.
What the job is
Farming apprenticeships give you the practical skills — stockmanship, machinery operation, crop husbandry — plus the business and compliance knowledge modern farms need.
The work is seasonal and weather-driven, with long hours at lambing, calving and harvest and quieter periods between. It is one of the few careers where you genuinely learn the whole business, and progression to herd manager or farm manager can be quick for capable people.
A typical day
- Feed, check and care for livestock daily
- Assist with lambing, calving and animal health treatments
- Operate tractors and farm machinery safely
- Establish, maintain and harvest crops
- Maintain fencing, buildings and farm records
How you get in
- No formal qualifications required for most level 2 apprenticeships
- Driving licence very useful; tractor training provided
- You must genuinely not mind early starts, mud and weather
- Some roles involve living on site
Where it leads
- Level 3 livestock or crop technician
- Herd, flock or unit manager
- Farm manager or agronomy roles
- Diversification, contracting or your own holding
Where to train for this
29 colleges and training providers on our list cover Farm Worker training. Open your region to see them, then check current intakes with the provider directly.