What Does a Teenage Farm Worker do? 

As a teenage farm worker, you’ll spend the majority of your time working with animals ploughing fields, sowing seeds, spreading fertilizer, crop spraying and harvesting. By working with animals, it means to transport, milk, feed, cleaning. You may also work with farm machinery. As a teenage farm worker, you will be overseen by the farm owner or a farm manager, and you will have to possibility of overseeing other farm workers. and caring for sick or newborn livestock. You’ll spend a lot of time doing physical work, and you may have to do a lot of paid overtime if there is an excess of work at the farm. You may also have to live at the farm in a free or low rent residence. It’s helpful to be quite athletic since you will be doing manual work and getting your hands dirty all day.

How Much Does a Teenage Farm Worker Get Paid?

As a farm worker just getting started, you can expect to earn somewhere between $10-$15 per hour.  The biggest issue with this type of work though is that you will have to do a lot of manual work and you may have to live at the farm. Although you will be provided somewhere to sleep and eat at the farm for little to no charge, you will still be separated from your family for a couple months. But, you could find a farm worker job that doesn’t require you to live at the farm. Also, there is little potential for getting promoted as a farm worker.

How Can I Get Started as a Teenage Farm Worker?

1. Make sure that you speak to your parent(s) before trying to become a teen farm worker.  Doing so we’ll ensure your safety and they’ll likely be able to help you in your efforts.
2. Before you begin, you’ll need to determine if you are able to stay overnight at the farm. Farms are usually in rural areas, so it would be more convenient to stay at the farm if they are far from your house. Also, overnight farm workers will get a higher pay to their counterparts that don’t stay overnight. Your housing will probably be free, or of low cost. A downside to living at the farm is that you are disconnected from friends and family for a long term and there won’t be much to do. You wouldn’t have the comforts of home, and you won’t have much to do when you are not working on the farm.
3. Now that you’ve got decided if you are able to stay overnight, you’ll need to find a couple of job openings that you can apply to. Farmers wouldn’t look for you on big hiring websites, since most farms are owned by individuals, not companies. So, go on smaller websites such as Craigslist to find jobs.  
4. Once you’ve joined found a couple of jobs, research about farm machinery and crops. You’ll need to know a bit of basic information about the machinery, just in case you are required to operate them. You will also need to learn a bit about crops. Also recommended is for you to start to exercise more often to train yourself for the physical work that is impending.
5. Now, apply to the jobs you found earlier. Tell them how physically fit you are, as that is something they are looking for. Try to be very specific in your application, and use some of that information you found earlier. If you don’t get hired, don’t worry, and keep trying.
6. Congratulations, you’re officially a teenage farm worker. At first it will seem hard, with all the hard work that you need to put in, but eventually you will earn a decent about money and be successful. It’s a great way to get fit, and at the same time to earn some money. If you are an overnight farm worker, it may seem lonely at times, but it’s a great experience to have, nevertheless.

<< Back to Summer Jobs For Teens Database

Helpful Resources

• Craigslist.org:  A site where you can search for farm jobs if you’d like to work at one.