Sprayer operator/ driver

[tower2238]

Hi Folks
Wondering what the going rate per hour is for a sprayer operator position? Been offered a job at £14 for first forty hours. Is that average, low or good?

Sorry probably in the wrong section for this query!

 

[Farmer Roy]

No idea how it compares in the UK, but I certainly wouldn’t be that excited about it here

 

[Werzle]

Not enough really, you should be taking home £14/hr at least. Mate of mines helping a fencer just carrying stuff and knocking staples in and he's getting £15/hr

 

[Chae1]

Hi Folks
Wondering what the going rate per hour is for a sprayer operator position? Been offered a job at £14 for first forty hours. Is that average, low or good? Area Kent

Sorry probably in the wrong section for this query!

A sprayer operator on a golf course with a 4 nozzle machine?

So many variables, need more information.

 

[tower2238]

A sprayer operator on a golf course with a 4 nozzle machine?

So many variables, need more information.

No vegetable/arable farm

 

[Still Farming]

Skilled, qualified operator.
£20 hr possibly?
How many queing up to handle chemicals these day???

 

[David.]

Assume there's a house?

 

[Chae1]

No vegetable/arable farm

How many ha per year? What size machine?

Just a seat warmer or do you make decisions ? I.e go spraying at 9 at night when wind drops and get up at 4 in the morning when no dew.

I know sprayer operators that can't even follow a spray plan. The boss writes out each tank load and he phones him to work out last tankload that isn't full.

 

[tower2238]

Assume there's a house?

Nope it would be subsidised. Maybe too low a package I’m starting to think

 

[kiwi pom]

Hi Folks
Wondering what the going rate per hour is for a sprayer operator position? Been offered a job at £14 for first forty hours. Is that average, low or good? Area Kent

Sorry probably in the wrong section for this query!

So overtime rate after 40 hours? House?
A couple of people I know (being deliberately vague) on less than that flat rate, no house, no vehicle in Cheshire.
Do everything on a Beef, arable, spud farm, left to get on with it when it suits management, spotted mistakes by agronomist that would have killed the crop etc.
There's probably better paying jobs but they can't find them, one of them doesn't want to move area.
Don't know if this helps.

There's plenty of employers on here, not sure they'll tell you how much they pay though.

 

[Al R]

How many ha per year? What size machine?

Just a seat warmer or do you make decisions ? I.e go spraying at 9 at night when wind drops and get up at 4 in the morning when no dew.

I know sprayer operators that can't even follow a spray plan. The boss writes out each tank load and he phones him to work out last tankload that isn't full.

I know of a few like that. I preferred 0230-0300 starts, with enough crop variation and liquid fert you can pretty much never stop. I was doing 48hrs in 3 days as a relief, finish by 1800 so another spray man could jump on to go on it until I came back at 0230/0300.
@CPF knows of some seriously keen operators who are doing very early starts most days on veg

If your one of these sort of operators that can plan ahead to take hours off the day so the booms are working more by carrying Chems or having chems transported to strategic points for you so you rarely return to base then your worth a lot more than £15.
If your like in the bold above and are constantly on the phone and whinging etc then £15 is to much

 

[tower2238]

So overtime rate after 40 hours? House?
A couple of people I know (being deliberately vague) on less than that flat rate, no house, no vehicle in Cheshire.
Do everything on a Beef, arable, spud farm, left to get on with it when it suits management, spotted mistakes by agronomist that would have killed the crop etc.
There's probably better paying jobs but they can't find them, one of them doesn't want to move area.
Don't know if this helps.

There's plenty of employers on here, not sure they'll tell you how much

So overtime rate after 40 hours? House?
A couple of people I know (being deliberately vague) on less than that flat rate, no house, no vehicle in Cheshire.
Do everything on a Beef, arable, spud farm, left to get on with it when it suits management, spotted mistakes by agronomist that would have killed the crop etc.
There's probably better paying jobs but they can't find them, one of them doesn't want to move area.
Don't know if this helps.

There's plenty of employers on here, not sure they'll tell you how much they pay though.

Yes overtime then, house rent subsidised included in the flat rate

 

[kiwi pom]

I know of a few like that. I preferred 0230-0300 starts, with enough crop variation and liquid fert you can pretty much never stop. I was doing 48hrs in 3 days as a relief, finish by 1800 so another spray man could jump on to go on it until I came back at 0230/0300.
@CPF knows of some seriously keen operators who are doing very early starts most days on veg

If your one of these sort of operators that can plan ahead to take hours off the day so the booms are working more by carrying Chems or having chems transported to strategic points for you so you rarely return to base then your worth a lot more than £15.
If your like in the bold above and are constantly on the phone and whinging etc then £15 is to much

That's assuming all employers give their employees the freedom to plan what they do.
Not always the case.

 

[kiwi pom]

Yes overtime then, house rent subsidised included in the flat rate

Sounds like a reasonable offer to me.
Make sure you get an employment contract BEFORE you start, check it carefully and have annual performance reviews.
You can't really expect mega money day one, you don't know what the jobs like yet but your boss doesn't know what you're like either. It's a risk for both of you.
You can always renegotiate after a year.

 

[Will 1594]

Skilled, qualified operator.
£20 hr possibly?
How many queing up to handle chemicals these day???

Its still one of best jobs , be even better when new sprayer lands ,

 

[Chae1]

I know of a few like that. I preferred 0230-0300 starts, with enough crop variation and liquid fert you can pretty much never stop. I was doing 48hrs in 3 days as a relief, finish by 1800 so another spray man could jump on to go on it until I came back at 0230/0300.
@CPF knows of some seriously keen operators who are doing very early starts most days on veg

If your one of these sort of operators that can plan ahead to take hours off the day so the booms are working more by carrying Chems or having chems transported to strategic points for you so you rarely return to base then your worth a lot more than £15.
If your like in the bold above and are constantly on the phone and whinging etc then £15 is to much

If I had to get up at 2.30 In the morning to spray I would buy another sprayer or get a contractor in.

Life's too short.

 

[David.]

How about 03.00 to milk cows?

 

[czechmate]

How about 03.00 to milk cows?

Even worse
Maybe we are « getting on », David?

 

[Will 1594]

How about 03.00 to milk cows?

bit like keeping 4 irrigators running 24 hours to keep up ..with rez pump down , running off river pump and bore hole , got rez pumps going today now, so can run 7 in turn , now in day off all 3 pumps
and go spraying or fert in between moving them

 

[Robt]

Hi Folks
Wondering what the going rate per hour is for a sprayer operator position? Been offered a job at £14 for first forty hours. Is that average, low or good?

Sorry probably in the wrong section for this query!

Local wharehouse are paying £14 per hour to drive a forklift (counterbalance ) on day shift. £16-18 on a night shift….. I know current margins can’t stand it but there really needs to be an increase else there will be nobody left