Going rate for herdsperson family farm

[Cumbriangal]

Hi. I am looking at herdsperson jobs and few mention salary. What would be the expected current rate for herdsperson on small dairy farm in Devon?

 

[dinderleat]

15k-50k

 

[Cumbriangal]

Huge difference. Speaking as a non farmer how do employers determine the right salary for the right person? Is the criteria, age, sex, experience or mostly driven by market forces? Also how do young farmers know their worth with such a wide range?

 

[kfpben]

Level of responsibility, experience, skills (eg. AI/foot trimming) number of cows to milk, hours, accommodation.

The area of the country is important too. If the salary looks too good to be true it *could* mean that the boss is a complete barsteward who has run through any local staff and can’t get anyone to work for him!

 

[deleted user 837354]

I would say the size, location and ownership structure of the place are irrelevant. You need money to support your life.

 

[David1985]

As a rule of thumb for a herdsman looming after day to day running of herd and sorting ai and vet visits, herd health etc would of thought a bare minimum of 30k plus a family house. Based on a 5.5day a week. If just a cluster attacher less would be my guess.

 

[Michael3112]

I used to get £27k as a herdsmen in scotland with a house, looking after 3 robots an relief milking every second weekend until the other 3 robots went in (i left around that time) was in charge of all day to day running of cows on the robots/calving cows etc

 

[multi power]

I would say the size, location and ownership structure of the place are irrelevant. You need money to support your life.

How is the size irrelevant? You cannot expect a herdsman looking after 100 cows to be on the same money as someone responsible for 400 cows

 

[JES]

In Cheshire, experienced herdsmen/women just not available, was paying 34k to 21 year old who failed to get up without a phone call. Spent £700 on 3 inexperienced people milking 200 cows to get weekend off. At point where seriously thinking of throwing in the towel, I would pay £40k if someone wanted job. Last proper herdsman stayed 14 years before going farming on his own

 

[kfpben]

In Cheshire, experienced herdsmen/women just not available, was paying 34k to 21 year old who failed to get up without a phone call. Spent £700 on 3 inexperienced people milking 200 cows to get weekend off. At point where seriously thinking of throwing in the towel, I would pay £40k if someone wanted job. Last proper herdsman stayed 14 years before going farming on his own

Wow. Was that £34k plus a house?

I really don’t understand why more people don’t do it. The money is superb for the level of qualifications required. All you need it a willingness to graft.

The head herdsman where I first worked after college was on a package worth £50k+ all in. That was 8 years ago. He had left school at 16 with no GCSEs, worked hard and was now using his salary to build up a buy to let property portfolio on the side.

 

[multi power]

Wow. Was that £34k plus a house?

I really don’t understand why more people don’t do it. The money is superb for the level of qualifications required. All you need it a willingness to graft.

The head herdsman where I first worked after college was on a package worth £50k+ all in. That was 8 years ago. He had left school at 16 with no GCSEs, worked hard and was now using his salary to build up a buy to let property portfolio on the side.

Sorry but you are wrong, very wrong on the qualifications required, you need to be a excellent stockman, person manager, grass manager and goodness knows what else, all of which I can achieve, yet I have no GCSEs, it wouldn't matter if I had, not at all realavent

 

[deleted user 837354]

How is the size irrelevant? You cannot expect a herdsman looking after 100 cows to be on the same money as someone responsible for 400 cows

You are looking at it backwards I fear.

Im looking at it from the point of view of the employee. He or she needs a salary and a life. The rest is the employers problem not his.

 

[kfpben]

Sorry but you are wrong, very wrong on the qualifications required, you need to be a excellent stockman, person manager, grass manager and goodness knows what else, all of which I can achieve, yet I have no GCSEs, it wouldn't matter if I had, not at all realavent

That’s exactly what I mean though. You can be a great herdsman without being conventionally academic.

You don’t need to come out of school/college/uni with A* grades to have a well paid career.

 

[Grassman247]

You are looking at it backwards I fear.

Im looking at it from the point of view of the employee. He or she needs a salary and a life. The rest is the employers problem not his.

You are spot on, we are heading to paying assistants 33k plus there house and council tax, why? Because a person cannot support a family without that sort of money regardless of how many cows you milk.

We’ve been through tough times with staff and finally have an excellent team, have just taken a guy on from a farm where he was herdsman and was only being paid 20k and getting no holidays.

He’s replaced a guy who couldn’t keep his house tidy.

Good staff are out there you just have to look in different places.

 

[deleted user 837354]

You are spot on, we are heading to paying assistants 33k plus there house and council tax, why? Because a person cannot support a family without that sort of money regardless of how many cows you milk.

We’ve been through tough times with staff and finally have an excellent team, have just taken a guy on from a farm where he was herdsman and was only being paid 20k and getting no holidays.

He’s replaced a guy who couldn’t keep his house tidy.

Good staff are out there you just have to look in different places.

And as you say, the above paints a dire future for some farmers in the industry who simply won't obtain or retain staff.

 

[coomoo]

This

As a rule of thumb for a herdsman looming after day to day running of herd and sorting ai and vet visits, herd health etc would of thought a bare minimum of 30k plus a family house. Based on a 5.5day a week. If just a cluster attacher less would be my guess.

 

[JES]

Depends if farmer had big income from Müller

 

[deleted user 837354]

You are spot on, we are heading to paying assistants 33k plus there house and council tax, why? Because a person cannot support a family without that sort of money regardless of how many cows you milk.

We’ve been through tough times with staff and finally have an excellent team, have just taken a guy on from a farm where he was herdsman and was only being paid 20k and getting no holidays.

He’s replaced a guy who couldn’t keep his house tidy.

Good staff are out there you just have to look in different places.

Can you explain what hours and type of work your assistants have to do to earn 33K?

 

[farmboy]

Huge difference. Speaking as a non farmer how do employers determine the right salary for the right person? Is the criteria, age, sex, experience or mostly driven by market forces? Also how do young farmers know their worth with such a wide range?

I’ve had a couple of herdsman’s jobs and know a few other herdsmen and no two jobs are the same in terms of what duties/responsibilities are expected regardless of herd size. Some are literally just milking and going home, some are managing the whole unit. This is obviously going to have a bearing on salary

 

[happycows]

As a rule of thumb for a herdsman looming after day to day running of herd and sorting ai and vet visits, herd health etc would of thought a bare minimum of 30k plus a family house. Based on a 5.5day a week. If just a cluster attacher less would be my guess.

My 19 year old son is on a bit more than this with a nice little 1 bed annexe as a assistant herdsman that is left in charge when the herdsman is away or having his days off. Doing 1 milking a day, most of the ai's and plenty of feet. In charge of drying off too. He's doing the hours but 1.5 days off a week.

Some people advertise for a herdsman on a family farm but are very involved with the cows and some milking. It then seems very expensive to the boss paying a big salary then, hence why they may struggle to get someone.