Farm manager
Handle the day to day running of a farm. You'll make sure animals are looked after, crops are thriving and the business is profitable.

About the job
What it's like
Farms take a lot of work, so you'll be kept busy in this role. You'll lead a team of workers – delegating tasks and making sure things run efficiently and profitably. On smaller farms, you may do practical farm work. This could be looking after livestock, operating machinery and harvesting crops.
You'll work on one of three main types of farm:
livestock, dealing with animals
arable, growing crops
mixed, producing both animals and crops
You may manage your own farm or be employed by owners or tenants of a farm to run it. You might manage a whole farm or just part of it, such as a dairy unit.
You'll need excellent business skills, a good head for figures and the ability to get the most out of your team.
Your tasks might include:
recruiting, training and supervising staff
setting budgets and production targets
buying and selling animals or produce and keeping financial record
carrying out daily checks on things like health and safety or produce quality
managing different sources of income, such as through a farm shop or accomodation for tourists
making sure equipment and machinery is inspected and arranging repairs when needed
You'll have environmental responsibilities too. This could be reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming processes, or working with conservation organisations to protect the local habitat. You'll need to help the farm adapt to climate change. For example, implementing new technologies to monitor weather and soil data.
Green jobÂ
In this job you'll be doing work to help the environment. Find out more about green jobs. Â
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Lantra Scotland – training and skills for the land-based, aquaculture and environmental sector
The Scottish Association of Young Farmers, YouTube – hear from Iain, an arable farm manager in Aberdeenshire
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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.
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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.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- delegating
- developing a plan
- working with numbers
- innovative
- working with technology
- verbal communication
- building relationships

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:
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Biology
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Business Management
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Environmental Science
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Skills for Work: Rural Skills
Experience of working on farms and knowledge of agricultue are what's important in this career. But employers will value relevant qualifications.
Explore the different routes available to get into this career.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you secure a job or progress to more advanced study. Useful subjects include:
Agriculture
Animal Care
Horticulture
Rural Animal Health
Rural Business Management
Rural Skills
University
A degree could be helpful for getting into this job. You could study subjects, such as:
Agriculture
Animal Welfare Science
Horticulture
Rural Business Management
Apprenticeship
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider an MA in areas such as:
Work
You can become a farm manager through applying directly with an employer or getting an entry-level job and working your way up. You can use the My World of Work job search to look for job vacancies.
You usually need to hold a full driving licence.
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