What Does a Farm Labour Do?

Also called agricultural workers, farm laborers are people who inspect and harvest crops. The workers irrigate soil on the farm and maintain their pumps, pipes, or ditches. They service and operate farm tools and machinery. Their job involves the maintenance of crops like vegetables, nuts, and fruits. They look after livestock on the farm like cows, chickens, etc. Also, they inspect the animals for the detection of symptoms of injuries or illnesses and administer vaccines for disease protection.

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Farm Labour Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real farm labour resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Manage and oversee the day-to-day running of farms raising poultry or pigs for the production of meat and breeding stock.
Perform duties in farrowing unit, relocate sows, immunize and care for newborn pigs.
Job are to keep the farm up, mowing, weed eating, put fertilizer down.
Used hand tools including shovels, rakes, pruning saws, hedge and brush trimmers and axes.
Carry out daily milking, feeding, and field operations, twice per day, for the care of dairy livestock
Milk cows, landscaping, field work, lawn mowing, bailing hay, and anything else done on a farm.
Help move milking cows and/or heifers in and out of milk barn, feed, and clean under and around them.
Clean stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, water hoses, and /pumps.
Work with all types of field and lawn care equipment including mowers, SSL, balers, forage harvesters and tractors.
Plant seeds and dig up and transplant seedlings and sets, using hand tools such as hoes, and by hand.
Operate and perform maintenance on agricultural equipment CDL truck driver
Supervise and perform daily farm operations in preparation of upcoming harvest.
Assist with seasonal/final harvest of tobacco/sweet potatoes on large family operation.
Work with animals: feeding, insemination, cleaning, etc.
Assist veterinarians with pregnancy checks, minor medical procedures, and artificial insemination of the mares.

Farm Labour Job Description

Between the years 2018 and 2028, farm labour jobs are expected to undergo a growth rate described as "little or no change" at 1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So if the thought "should I become a farm labour?" Has crossed your mind, maybe you should take the growth rate into account. In addition, the number of farm labour opportunities that are projected to become available by 2028 is 10,900.

A farm labour annual salary averages $26,720, which breaks down to $12.85 an hour. However, farm labours can earn anywhere from upwards of $21,000 to $33,000 a year. This means that the top-earning farm labours make $10,000 more than the lowest-earning ones.

It's hard work to become a farm labour, but even the most dedicated employees consider switching careers from time to time. Whether you're interested in a more challenging position or just looking for a fresh start, we've compiled extensive information on becoming a herdsman, milker, rider, and stable hand.

Learn More About Farm Labour Job Descriptions

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12 Farm Labour Resume Examples

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Linda Murphy Farm Labour Contact Information Eleva, WI (590) 555-6377 lmurphy@example.com Skills Tractor Trailer Customer Vehicles Identify Ownership Communication Stock Shelves Milk Cows Office Buildings Customer Transactions Clean Warehouse Farm Equipment Employment History Farm Labour 2018 - Present Family Farms Eleva, WI Performed maintenance on farm equipment and fencing. Worked on family farm growing up Variety of tasks including hay, market gardening, cattle, pigs, chickens Helped on different family farms around my county in Georgia for family members and family friends. Farm Help Crop Work Operate, service and maintain all farm equipment. Agriculture Labour 2014 - 2018 Labor Ready Louisville, KY Packed customer orders according to specifications. Operate forklift at warehouse to load / unload trucks. Assisted in counting of physical inventory Updated inventory database as needed Utilized RF barcode scanner to locate items in the warehouse Gas Attendant 2012 - 2014 Kroger Louisville, KY Provided quality customer service and ensured customer needs were met. Provided customer service, operated cash register, sold lottery, closed gas station at night. Education High School Diploma 2012 - 2012


Robert Cole Farm Labour Contact Info Miami, FL (740) 555-6235 rcole@example.com Skills Farm EquipmentLaw EnforcementMilk CowsLivestock CareTillage EquipmentTerrorismHerd HealthDaily OperationsCrowd ControlCDL Employment History Farm Labour 2011 - Present Farm Stores Miami, FL Clean stalls, attend to animals, ensure animals were healthy. Help clean stalls and help with goats General labor, tended to all live stock, general repairs, landscaping, used farming equipment. Labor work on farm equipment, welding, cattle work, operating heavy machinery Farm Labour 2006 - 2011 Town of Davie, FL Fort Lauderdale, FL Operated farm equipment to till soil, plant, cultivate, and harvest produce crops. Loaded agricultural products into trucks or storage facilities. baled hay with farm equipment. Maintained and operated all types of farm equipment. Military Police Officer 2004 - 2006 Town of Davie, FL Fort Lauderdale, FL Provided emergency dispatch service, emergency telephone service and communication operations with state, federal and local public safety agencies. Prepared spreadsheet on all criminal activity on the Atlanta Police Department. Presented evidence and testimony in court as representative of The Police Department. Operated numerous computer programs designated to support the functions of the police department. Provided 15,000 hours of law enforcement to the community utilizing foot and vehicle patrol techniques. Education Associate's Degree Medical Technician 2002 - 2004 Keiser University Fort Lauderdale, FL


Kathleen Stephens Farm Labour Richmond, VA (770) 555-0371 kstephens@example.com Experience Farm Labour2019 - Present City of Richmond•Richmond, VA Operated farm equipment to till soil, plant, cultivate, and harvest produce crops. Perform all aspects of commercial beef cattle operation. Operateed farm equipment to include tractor and hay bailers. Operate farm equipment such as tractor, weed whacker, brush cutter and manuel tools. Farm Worker2018 - 2019 City of Richmond•Richmond, VA Operated farm equipment to till soil, plant, cultivate, and harvest produce crops. Repaired farm equipment and tools as needed. Military Police Officer2015 - 2018 City of Richmond•Richmond, VA Interacted positively with the public while resolving public safety and legal issues. Collected physical evidence, performed crime scene investigation. Graduate, Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council Law Enforcement Training Program. Skills Maintenance RepairsCrop ProductionSafety ProceduresGeneral Ranch MaintenancePlant SeedsDaily OperationsCrowd ControlMilk CowsGrain ElevatorFarm Equipment Education Some College Courses Criminal Justice2015 - 2015 Virginia Commonwealth University•Richmond, VA

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Farm Labour Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 18% of Farm Labours are proficient in Harvest, Cleanliness, and Farm Machinery. They’re also known for soft skills such as Dexterity, Listening skills, and Physical strength.

We break down the percentage of Farm Labours that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Harvest, 18%
Supervised and performed daily farm operations in preparation of upcoming harvest.
Cleanliness, 12%
General warehouse labor, sort and package company merchandise, and maintaining cleanliness of work environment at all times
Farm Machinery, 10%
Operated farm machinery; repaired and maintained farm equipment and facilities Milked dairy cows
Farm Work, 5%
Provided care for 200 head of Sheep Hay Making Repaired Farm Equipment, Buildings and Barn Basic Farm Work
Drive Tractor, 5%
Farm Laborer * Refill tractors with plants * Plant tomato plants * Refill tractors with water * Drive forklift * Drive tractors
Mowing, 5%
Job was to keep the farm up, mowing, weed eating, put fertilizer down.

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Some of the skills we found on farm labour resumes included "harvest," "cleanliness," and "farm machinery." We have detailed the most important farm labour responsibilities below.

Dexterity can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a farm labour to have. According to a farm labour resume, "agricultural workers need excellent hand-eye coordination to harvest crops and operate farm machinery." Farm labours are able to use dexterity in the following example we gathered from a resume: "operate forklifts, mowers, tractors, pallet jacks, carts and variety of equipment for all routine maintenance. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many farm labour duties rely on listening skills. This example from a farm labour explains why: "agricultural workers need to work well with others." This resume example is just one of many ways farm labours are able to utilize listening skills: "operated farm equipment, provided maintenance and repair - conducted independent work and communicated well with a team"

Another skill that is quite popular among farm labours is physical strength. This skill is very critical to fulfilling every day responsibilities as is shown in this example from a farm labour resume: "agricultural workers must be strong enough to lift heavy objects, including tools and crops." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "operated machinery and physical labor. "

A farm labour responsibilities sometimes require "mechanical skills." The responsibilities that rely on this skills are shown by this resume excerpt: "agricultural workers must be able to operate complex farm machinery" This resume example shows how this skill is used by farm labours: "gained mechanical knowledge, harvested over 2,000 acres, operated heavy machinery, milking holstein cows, and raising young stock. "

See the full list of farm labour skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a farm labour. We found that 33.9% of farm labours have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 1.6% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some farm labours have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every four farm labours were not college graduates.

Those farm labours who do attend college, typically earn either business degrees or general studies degrees. Less commonly earned degrees for farm labours include agricultural business degrees or automotive technology degrees.

Once you're ready to become a farm labour, you should explore the companies that typically hire farm labours. According to farm labour resumes that we searched through, farm labours are hired the most by Cargill, Bee Sweet Citrus, and Stahlbush Island Farms. Currently, Cargill has 6 farm labour job openings, while there are 4 at Bee Sweet Citrus and 4 at Stahlbush Island Farms.

Since salary is important to some farm labours, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at Cargill, University of California, Berkeley, and General Mills. If you were to take a closer look at Cargill, you'd find that the average farm labour salary is $36,448. Then at University of California, Berkeley, farm labours receive an average salary of $36,446, while the salary at General Mills is $31,659.

View more details on farm labour salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a farm labour include Iowa State University, Johnson Farms, and Tate. These three companies were found to hire the most farm labours from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious farm labours are:

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What Herdsmans Do

A rider's job is to maintain a specific route or area to collect or deliver packages. They often used bicycles or motorcycles to perform their duties. Their duties and responsibilities include writing logs and reports, collecting payment for deliveries, and informing customers of new products and services.

In this section, we compare the average farm labour annual salary with that of a herdsman. Typically, herdsmen earn a $3,563 higher salary than farm labours earn annually.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both farm labours and herdsmen positions are skilled in farm machinery, farm work, and milking.

There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a farm labour responsibilities require skills like "harvest," "cleanliness," "drive tractor," and "mowing." Meanwhile a typical herdsman has skills in areas such as "dairy farm," "animal handling," "dairy cattle," and "usda." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

Herdsmen really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $36,206. Whereas farm labours tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $32,950.

Herdsmen tend to reach similar levels of education than farm labours. In fact, herdsmen are 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Milker?

Next up, we have the milker profession to look over. This career brings along a higher average salary when compared to a farm labour annual salary. In fact, milkers salary difference is $3,619 higher than the salary of farm labours per year.

A similarity between the two careers of farm labours and milkers are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "farm work," "milking," and "skid loader. "

But both careers also use different skills, according to real farm labour resumes. While farm labour responsibilities can utilize skills like "harvest," "cleanliness," "farm machinery," and "drive tractor," some milkers use skills like "dairy farm," "calf," "milk cows," and "goats."

Milkers may earn a higher salary than farm labours, but milkers earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $40,793. On the other side of things, farm labours receive higher paychecks in the finance industry where they earn an average of $32,950.

On the topic of education, milkers earn similar levels of education than farm labours. In general, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Rider Compares

Let's now take a look at the rider profession. On average, these workers make higher salaries than farm labours with a $23,455 difference per year.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a farm labour is likely to be skilled in "harvest," "cleanliness," "farm machinery," and "farm work," while a typical rider is skilled in "cpr," "safety procedures," "pallets," and "walkie."

Interestingly enough, riders earn the most pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $42,874. As mentioned previously, farm labours highest annual salary comes from the finance industry with an average salary of $32,950.

Riders typically study at similar levels compared with farm labours. For example, they're 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Stable Hand

Now, we'll look at stable hands, who generally average a higher pay when compared to farm labours annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $1,117 per year.

While their salaries may vary, farm labours and stable hands both use similar skills to perform their jobs. Resumes from both professions include skills like "mowing," "manual labor," and "farm animals. "

While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "harvest," "cleanliness," "farm machinery," and "farm work" are skills that have shown up on farm labours resumes. Additionally, stable hand uses skills like clean stalls, facility maintenance, general upkeep, and water on their resumes.

The average resume of stable hands showed that they earn similar levels of education to farm labours. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 0.1% more. Additionally, they're more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.2%.

Updated October 2, 2020