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Dairy farm worker

  • 09-06-2020 12:32am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭


    Hi
    What's the wage for a dairy farm worker, short term and long term.

    Thanks


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭ruwithme


    poorer than it was pre covid I'd say. have noticed alot of lads advertising themselves available for work on donedeal with a focus on dairying in recent months.
    €10 ahour nett if your familiar with dairy farming and thats with someone who knows the value of another's labour.


  • Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Stan27


    ruwithme wrote: »
    poorer than it was pre covid I'd say. have noticed alot of lads advertising themselves available for work on donedeal with a focus on dairying in recent months.
    €10 ahour nett if your familiar with dairy farming and thats with someone who knows the value of another's labour.

    Not great so.

    Would be interested to hear about long term prospects if anyone has any info


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 849 ✭✭✭Sugarbowl


    What’s the going rate for a school lad doing a days work on a dairy farm? About the 12 hours including meals?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭Mortelaro


    Sugarbowl wrote: »
    What’s the going rate for a school lad doing a days work on a dairy farm? About the 12 hours including meals?

    If he's good,I'd give him €80 to €100 net including meals
    The higher rate if he's really good
    Depending on age and ability


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Stan27 wrote: »
    Not great so.

    Would be interested to hear about long term prospects if anyone has any info

    Could get on to local teagasc office or people you may know. All depends on experience really. You could offer labour yourself at a rate to multiple farms if you have experience. Set up as a sole trader and need to do your own accounts. May suit if there are smaller farms near you where you could spent a day or two on each farm. That way farmer isn't under pressure paying fulltime work and you may get a rate you would be happy with


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,016 ✭✭✭cute geoge


    Mortelaro wrote: »
    If he's good,I'd give him €80 to €100 net including meals
    The higher rate if he's really good
    Depending on age and ability

    Things are gone mad if a school kid should get €100 /day and be fed no wonder they are all walking the road


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,760 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    cute geoge wrote: »
    Things are gone mad if a school kid should get €100 /day and be fed no wonder they are all walking the road

    Ah now - have you bought 20 Silk Cut recently??;)


    I always associated the farm hands on my Grandmothers place with various cig brands - Silk Cut for the younger lads, Sweet Afton for the old timers.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    12 hours a day? What age is he? If you're an employer then make sure your compliant with the maximum number of working hours for young people, here's a guideline:

    https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/starting_work_and_changing_job/young_people_at_work/rights_of_young_workers.html#:~:text=The%20maximum%20working%20week%20for%20young%20people%20aged%2016%20and,work%20between%206am%20and%2010pm.


  • Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭Mrtm17


    Surely ud want to be taking home 600 a week after tax?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,260 ✭✭✭Grueller


    Mrtm17 wrote: »
    Surely ud want to be taking home 600 a week after tax?

    For what hours?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭Mortelaro


    I think you have to be fair,treat them right,be a good employer etc
    Paying 6 or 7 euros an hour would not be that

    @Timmay plenty lads 16 and 17 years of age at silage all hours in past few weeks


  • Registered Users Posts: 476 ✭✭Keep Sluicing


    Mortelaro wrote: »
    I think you have to be fair,treat them right,be a good employer etc
    Paying 6 or 7 euros an hour would not be that

    @Timmay plenty lads 16 and 17 years of age at silage all hours in past few weeks

    There is a 16 and a 17 year old working for the summer, in the building site I'm on. Start at 7:30, finish at 5:30. 1 hour breaks, they get paid for 9&1/2 hours. 14 euro an hour. So they have €133 a day.

    In reality that is a very good wage for them. But 12 hour an hour is the minimum any young person would be on, on a building site


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,823 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Daughter is 16 working in local shop on minimum wage 7euro an hour


  • Registered Users Posts: 476 ✭✭Keep Sluicing


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Daughter is 16 working in local shop on minimum wage 7euro an hour

    It shows how big the wages disparity is between different job sectors. Retail, agriculture and Construct are world apart by the looks of it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,509 ✭✭✭Jb1989


    It shows how big the wages disparity is between different job sectors. Retail, agriculture and Construct are world apart by the looks of it.

    Tho. To be expected, fair difference in lifting 4 inch blocks onto scaffolding compared to loaves of pat the Baker onto shelves.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Not the case everywhere but the amount of cash work going around in the construction industry is ridiculous as well, an area that could well do with being clamped down on


  • Registered Users Posts: 476 ✭✭Keep Sluicing


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Not the case everywhere but the amount of cash work going around in the construction industry is ridiculous as well, an area that could well do with being clamped down on

    The only cash work would be one off houses I'd say. And everyone that did a self build is guilty of "and how much for cash"


  • Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Stan27


    Seen a few job advertisements, farmers looking for lads for 39 hours a week for 22k a year. No wonder farmers cant get good labour.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,579 ✭✭✭kerryjack


    It's not all about the money, if you want to make money you go working at something else.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭ruwithme


    As i posted earlier in this thread there is a lot of people,youngsters generally and some maybe not so young on donedeal advertising their labour with a focus on dairying.

    This will be the case for quite a while to come with jobs being hard to come by in the times ahead.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,086 ✭✭✭alps


    Stan27 wrote: »
    Seen a few job advertisements, farmers looking for lads for 39 hours a week for 22k a year. No wonder farmers cant get good labour.

    Can he do whatever he wants for the second half of the week?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,086 ✭✭✭alps


    Genuinely though....with any time worked over the 39 hours, it could still run to 600 a week..


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,755 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    Stan27 wrote: »
    Seen a few job advertisements, farmers looking for lads for 39 hours a week for 22k a year. No wonder farmers cant get good labour.

    Cost to employer for above salary when holiday pay and prsi etc is factored in is over 13 euro a hour for hours worked by employee for year, once the wage subsidy scheme is pulled and the covid payment finishes next April the above salary will be seen as a alright wage all things consider


  • Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Stan27


    alps wrote: »
    Genuinely though....with any time worked over the 39 hours, it could still run to 600 a week..

    Ye but if a young lad saw those wages, and whats on offer with other sectors, it is a big put off to work in the dairy sector.

    Is there not a huge lack of labour in the dairy sector ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭ruwithme


    Not in my opinion. i see lots looking for work in it. Good for any youngsters who might be considering dairying at home later on in life. See how others do it and maybe learn something too at same time.

    It's good to get away from the homestead when your young.open your eyes.

    Op are you planning on dairying at home sometime in the future?or just wanting to work on a dairy farm.


  • Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Stan27


    ruwithme wrote: »
    Not in my opinion. i see lots looking for work in it. Good for any youngsters who might be considering dairying at home later on in life. See how others do it and maybe learn something too at same time.

    It's good to get away from the homestead when your young.open your eyes.

    Op are you planning on dairying at home sometime in the future?or just wanting to work on a dairy farm.

    Dont see our farm at home going dairying, it isnt big enough.

    Worked on dairy farms in australia and loved it, so when I'm stuck in the office in Dublin, I sometimes do think am I better off having a dairy career.
    Always keeping an eye out.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,016 ✭✭✭einn32


    Stan27 wrote: »
    Dont see our farm at home going dairying, it isnt big enough.

    Worked on dairy farms in australia and loved it, so when I'm stuck in the office in Dublin, I sometimes do think am I better off having a dairy career.
    Always keeping an eye out.

    Do a few hours on a farm in your time off? I know a few people that pick up farm work on Saturday and Sundays.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,966 ✭✭✭laoch na mona


    ruwithme wrote: »
    poorer than it was pre covid I'd say. have noticed alot of lads advertising themselves available for work on donedeal with a focus on dairying in recent months.
    €10 ahour nett if your familiar with dairy farming and thats with someone who knows the value of another's labour.

    Is it really that low? thats mimimum wage, be better of in a tesco at that rate


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,966 ✭✭✭laoch na mona


    kerryjack wrote: »
    It's not all about the money, if you want to make money you go working at something else.

    if your a worker it is, thats what keeps children fed and rent paid, no farmer can expect quality staff for mimimum wage


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,579 ✭✭✭kerryjack


    Ya starting out its low paid, but there is opportunities now to herd share or maybe rent your own place. Would I advise my own kids to do it, No way you would be mad.


  • Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭Mrtm17


    ruwithme wrote: »
    poorer than it was pre covid I'd say. have noticed alot of lads advertising themselves available for work on donedeal with a focus on dairying in recent months.
    €10 ahour nett if your familiar with dairy farming and thats with someone who knows the value of another's labour.

    That is very low,not many could settle for that


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    kerryjack wrote: »
    Ya starting out its low paid, but there is opportunities now to herd share or maybe rent your own place. Would I advise my own kids to do it, No way you would be mad.

    Herd shares are few and far between in Ireland. Tax free leasing is too attractive. This catches you again leasing as people leasing longterm pay the PRSI and USC if applicable whether rentis received or not. Therefore they tend to lease to established farm businesses. I never see working for a minimum wage in any industry as a chance to advance significantly in that industry

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Registered Users Posts: 3 My miwadi


    Stan27 wrote: »
    Seen a few job advertisements, farmers looking for lads for 39 hours a week for 22k a year. No wonder farmers cant get good labour.

    Its absolutely mad. Theres one place in wexford that supplys labour to dairy farmers and he is fleasing the workers paying noting and charging the farmer top rates and sending in someone who is just starting out. Its no wonder it never works out for both partys.. I really cant understand how he is still in business to be honest. Has other ventires too. He had resorted to bringing in workers from the phillipines before covid the poor phillipine lads are coming in expecting to be treated well and are just been taken advantage of.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭ruwithme


    Some seem surprised at €10 a hour nett pay to a employee on a dairy farm. Nett pay that is,so obviously more than that with various taxes paid on your part by the employer.

    I don't doubt lots of farmers pay staff more than that. Unfortunately though i see any amount of so called unskilled jobs on indeed.com advertised at €10 a hour gross pay and a short list of demands for a employee


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    ruwithme wrote: »
    Some seem surprised at €10 a hour nett pay to a employee on a dairy farm. Nett pay that is,so obviously more than that with various taxes paid on your part by the employer.

    I don't doubt lots of farmers pay staff more than that. Unfortunately though i see any amount of so called unskilled jobs on indeed.com advertised at €10 a hour gross pay and a short list of demands for a employee


    The difference between net and gross pay at that rate is minimal. A gross pay of 22k is 10.75/hour, a net pay of 9.8/hour. Ya milking cows is unskilled work. But there is a lot more virtual minimum paid jobs which are a lot easier to do.

    Slava Ukrainii



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    Jjameson wrote: »
    Speaking anecdotally in my own part of the country the guys looking for full time help are always looking for full time help as nobody stays with them. Wages, hours and the expectation to be as motivated as the farmer (who always has his eye on his neighbours acre! Or a new machine or whatever gives him his endorphin rush!)

    I think this is the nub if it. A farmer that does not drink or smoke, works 70-100 hours a week expect Joe Soap who is a minimum paid worker to not take a smoking break not to arrive hung over in the morning, not to take it easy going to bring in the cows or mending that fence. He expecting to get a lads who's a good unskilled worker, but that lad is working for Jimmy the builder or plant hire man for 13-15 euro/your.

    My son who is in college was getting 10.5/ hour part time in a pub restaurant and if he had been fulltime he be on 12/hour or more. He be getting 30-40/week in tips if fulltime as well. With tip that is 11.5/hour net. That person is in out of the cd and wet. He is not in a freezing cold milking parlour in February and March. Every evening he comes home he is not rushing into the shower. He is not getting into cold damp clothes every morning for 3-4 months of the year.

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,579 ✭✭✭kerryjack


    Tips the only tips you can expect on a dairy farm is a tip of a dirty tail across the face.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,170 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Jjameson wrote: »
    Speaking anecdotally in my own part of the country the guys looking for full time help are always looking for full time help as nobody stays with them. Wages, hours and the expectation to be as motivated as the farmer (who always has his eye on his neighbours acre! Or a new machine or whatever gives him his endorphin rush!)

    Same story around here. The lads who have the big numbers of cows find it difficult to find and keep good workers. No employee is going to work as hard as the farmer.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Same story around here. The lads who have the big numbers of cows find it difficult to find and keep good workers. No employee is going to work as hard as the farmer.

    When you are fishing at the bottom of the barrel you take what you get. This was another FJ/Teagasc miscalculation. They never factored in farm labour like the calves senario. One of theories was that where there was accomodation available (especially on second and third milking platforms) that these farms would employ couples from Eastern Europe and pay the minimum wage. This was to get around working hours legislation. However any couple that were any good exited when there English was good enough if not before when they got the lie of the land.

    Another trick was to call them farm managers and pay them a slightly higher salary but expect them to work 50 hours+ a week

    Any lad any good is gone elsewhere after a while especially when the economy lifted

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Depends on experience really. A lad coming in, possibly his/ her first job may require a bit of training in a share of tasks as well as needing to build up experience as time goes on in the farmers presence may start on minimum wage fine, but if you're looking to hold on to them for any period of time more will have to be paid eventually. When I was a young fella I started at 15/ 16 yrs old on 3 pounds an hour in petrol stations and supermarkets, with short shifts which was a bollox as couldn't get hours up to make anything by the time I was in college euros were in a year or two and I had worked on sites and in grain yards where you could put in the hours to make a few bob and the last two summers were in a plant where I was a 10er an hour but could work away up to 80 hours a week with time and a half on weekends.

    Students might be ok on minimum wage once they can work the hours up and won't be taxed but full time work would have to be more than that. Have a lad working between here and the neighbours here but not a hope would either of us afford a fulltime person. At 124 cows here, even if I get to the 150 which would be a medium term target anyway i wouldn't afford a fulltime person along with the other costs of running the farm


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 379 ✭✭popa smurf


    I don't see milking as hard work or feeding calves, is it skilled I don't think so, I think you could pick it up in a few weeks, maybe they should be a campaign to get lads off the dole and take up these jobs. I worked on a lot of farms when I was a young man on my travels and can honestly say I never met a bad one, always got paid up and well fed. Now the building game is a different story, met some thick foremen in my time the ticker the better at that game.


  • Registered Users Posts: 541 ✭✭✭1373


    popa smurf wrote: »
    I don't see milking as hard work or feeding calves, is it skilled I don't think so, I think you could pick it up in a few weeks, maybe they should be a campaign to get lads off the dole and take up these jobs. I worked on a lot of farms when I was a young man on my travels and can honestly say I never met a bad one, always got paid up and well fed. Now the building game is a different story, met some thick foremen in my time the ticker the better at that game.

    It’s a very skilled job if you’re into doing it well


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 379 ✭✭popa smurf


    1373 wrote: »
    It’s a very skilled job if you’re into doing it well
    Are we talking about milking cows or farm management


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Depends on experience really. A lad coming in, possibly his/ her first job may require a bit of training in a share of tasks as well as needing to build up experience as time goes on in the farmers presence may start on minimum wage fine, but if you're looking to hold on to them for any period of time more will have to be paid eventually. When I was a young fella I started at 15/ 16 yrs old on 3 pounds an hour in petrol stations and supermarkets, with short shifts which was a bollox as couldn't get hours up to make anything by the time I was in college euros were in a year or two and I had worked on sites and in grain yards where you could put in the hours to make a few bob and the last two summers were in a plant where I was a 10er an hour but could work away up to 80 hours a week with time and a half on weekends.

    Students might be ok on minimum wage once they can work the hours up and won't be taxed but full time work would have to be more than that. Have a lad working between here and the neighbours here but not a hope would either of us afford a fulltime person. At 124 cows here, even if I get to the 150 which would be a medium term target anyway i wouldn't afford a fulltime person along with the other costs of running the farm

    Do many spring calving systems need a fulltime 2nd labour unit anyways? For around here, from after 1st cut until mid Oct and you start winter feeding its mostly just milking and the few jobs like fert/mowing etc. Obviously if your still in expansion mode your going to have alot more work aside from the day to day stuff, but if the farm is largely setup. Personally I'd take 2 extra labour units from feb to April anyday over a fulltime person whole year around.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Timmaay wrote: »
    Do many spring calving systems need a fulltime 2nd labour unit anyways? For around here, from after 1st cut until mid Oct and you start winter feeding its mostly just milking and the few jobs like fert/mowing etc. Obviously if your still in expansion mode your going to have alot more work aside from the day to day stuff, but if the farm is largely setup. Personally I'd take 2 extra labour units from feb to April anyday over a fulltime person whole year around.

    Fair point, but depending on location part time workers are hard to consistently find, and to hold on to someone full time secure work is needed more often than not. Ideally I'd like to get to the stage where I could employ someone full time, so for the second half of the year or quieter times it would be worked so we both have more time off and or an adapted working week, 4 days on maybe or alternating weekends or options along that vein. Farm needs a fair bit of development tho so not sure I'll get there. We'll see


  • Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭Mrtm17


    How can u pay a lad 10 an hour,u can get 17 or 18 on a building site without any experience


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    Mrtm17 wrote: »
    How can u pay a lad 10 an hour,u can get 17 or 18 on a building site without any experience

    First off in rural most building sites will not be paying 15/hour. I in a fairly busy rural area. General rate to labourers a n a building site is 15/hour and most would be fairly capable lads. However the real catch is that the hear lads get handed the best of protective clothing and footwear. Proper breaks and canteen facilities. On a lot of jobs there a bit of leaning on the shove time

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,016 ✭✭✭cute geoge


    I would consider a building labourer heavier work then farm labourer .In fairness plenty of good women well capable of farm labourer but have not seen any women levelling conco or on a jack hammer!!!
    Although I have heard a few farm relief workers say the work on the bigger dairy farms with 300 cows plus the work is relentless with no time or place for the leaning on the shovel


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,579 ✭✭✭kerryjack


    Mrtm17 wrote: »
    How can u pay a lad 10 an hour,u can get 17 or 18 on a building site without any experience
    Nothing new on this people have being leaving agriculture and moving on to construction since the time of the Roman's. 10 euro an hour workers don't stay around long and move on.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,260 ✭✭✭Grueller


    How much an hour does a farmer pay to FRS for a worker?
    How much does the worker get fromFRS?
    Somewhere in the middle might be a reasonable guide?


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