Job Description

The Farm Secretary will work alongside the Farm Manager and will deal with the business side of the farm or estate. Duties may include keeping records of livestock, dealing with invoices and payments, completing forms for government grants and subsidies, dealing with tax returns and VAT, sorting out payroll for employees and general administrative duties.

Entry Requirements

College

You may find it useful to do a college course in a relevant subject like a:

Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping
Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping and Accounts
Level 2 Diploma in Business Administration
Level 3 Certificate in Accounting

You'll usually need:

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

The following local colleges offer courses in Business:

Or your local 6th form may offer a relevant course.

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through a business administrator advanced apprenticeship.

You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship.

Click here to search for an apprenticeship.

Other routes

You could take a training course through a professional body like The Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators. These courses can be done whether you're working in the farming industry or are looking for a change of career.

Career tips

An understanding of farming or rural life will be helpful, particularly if you've lived or worked on a farm before.

You can find out more about working as a farm secretary through The Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators.

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You’ll usually need GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths.

You’ll also need experience of office administration and knowledge of bookkeeping.

It may help if you've lived or worked on a farm.

You could take a college course in secretarial work, business administration, bookkeeping or accounting. You could also take a short course with the Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators (IAgSA).

Lantra has more information about working in the farming industry.

Career Path and Progression

With experience, you could become a farm manager.

You could also move into other types of rural business, like stables or countryside management, or use your business and administrative skills in other industries.

Related careers you may be interested in:

Farmer
Bookkeeper
Admin assistant
Secretary

Required Skills

Good IT skills
Good head for figures
Organised
A strong interest in farming issues
The ability to work on your own
To be thorough and pay attention to detail

Salary Range

£16,000 to £37,000

Farm Secretary