Agricultural Worker Minimum Wage Calculator

Agricultural workers in England are covered by the Agricultural Wages Orders, which set minimum pay rates based on grade. The National Living Wage (for ages 21+) is currently £12.71 per hour and applies as a minimum for all agricultural workers. Some older Agricultural Wages Orders set higher rates for specialist grades.

Workers are entitled to overtime, holiday pay (5.6 weeks per year), sick pay and accommodation offsets where housing is provided by the employer. In Wales, the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales sets separate minimum rates, and in Scotland, minimum rates are aligned with the National Minimum/Living Wage.

This calculator works out weekly and monthly gross pay based on hours worked, grade and any overtime. It also calculates holiday pay entitlement and shows the employer's NI and pension auto-enrolment contributions on top of the gross wage.

UK agricultural worker wages 2026. Since the Agricultural Wages Board for England was abolished in 2013, agricultural workers in England are paid at National Minimum/Living Wage rates: 21+ £12.71/hour (NLW); 18-20 £10.85/hour; under 18 / apprentice £8.00/hour. Scotland keeps a single statutory agricultural minimum rate with no grades (set by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board); Wales keeps graded rates (Grades A-E) set by the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales; Northern Ireland has its own Agricultural Wages Board.

Scottish Agricultural Wages 2026. Scotland does NOT use graded rates. The Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order (30th edition, effective 1 April 2026) sets a single minimum hourly rate of £12.71/hour for all agriculture workers (in line with the NLW). The only modifiers: an apprentice rate of £8.00/hour for the first 18 months (workers under 19, or 19+ in their first year studying an SCQF Level 4/5 agriculture or horticulture qualification); and a qualified-worker premium of at least +£1.91/hour for those holding an SCQF Level 6/7 (or higher) agricultural qualification. Overtime is paid at 1.5x the worker's hourly rate. Rates are set by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB).

Welsh Agricultural Wages 2026. Wales uses graded rates set by the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales. No new Order was agreed for 2026, so the Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2025 continues from 1 April 2026, with the lower grades uplifted to the NMW/NLW. Hourly rates: Grade A (Agricultural Development Worker) and Grade B (Agricultural Worker) — 21+ £12.71, 18-20 £10.85, 16-17 £8.00; Grade C (Advanced Worker) £13.48; Grade D (Senior Worker) £14.79; Grade E (Manager) £16.23. Apprentice (year 1) £8.00. Allowances: dog allowance £11.18 per dog per week; night work +£2.12/hour; birth/adoption grant £87.85 per child; accommodation offset £1.97/week (house) or £6.31/day (other).

Seasonal Worker Visa 2026. Up to 6 months UK work in edible and ornamental horticulture (fruit, veg, flowers); the poultry route runs 2 October to 31 December. Quota 2026: 42,900 places (41,000 horticulture + 1,900 poultry, down from 45,000 in 2025). Pay: at least £12.71/hour (NLW) with a minimum of 32 paid hours per week guaranteed. Sponsor: a licensed scheme operator (e.g. Concordia, Pro-Force, Fruitful Jobs). Application fee: £340 — no Immigration Health Surcharge (visas of 6 months or less are exempt). Cannot be extended or switched to a long-term work visa. Workers typically pay their own travel; accommodation deductions are capped at £10.66/day.

Farm payroll considerations. Employer NI 15% above £5,000/year per employee (raised April 2025). Auto-enrolment pension: 3% employer + 5% employee. Holiday pay: 5.6 weeks/year statutory (or 28 days). Tied accommodation: must be fit for human habitation (Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018), max deduction £6.31/day (Wales) or £77.70/week (England under Accommodation Offset). Statutory Sick Pay £123.25/week from day 4 illness. Farm-specific: Working Time Regulations apply but agricultural derogations for certain seasonal work.