Agricultural administrator

Agricultural administrators provide farmers with full and accurate information about the performance of their farm – both financial and physical. They are responsible for farm accounting, dealing with cash flows and budgets, cost analysis and record keeping.

Also known as:

Farm secretary
Rural business administrator

Work activities

Agricultural administrators provide administrative support for farmers, keeping them informed about the financial and physical performance of the farm. They are sometimes known as rural business administrators or farm secretaries. They keep accounts, checking on the money made and spent by the farm. They monitor, and sometimes control, budgets and cash flows, and work with accountants to prepare year-end accounts. Agricultural administrators complete forms for government departments and agencies, including the Rural Payments Agency; they might also complete VAT returns.

Some administrators also look at the physical side of farm management, assessing which crops and equipment are cost-effective. They are involved in livestock recording and cropping records, helping the farmer to make well-informed decisions about which crops, equipment or livestock to introduce in the future. Some administrators might also talk to bank managers and farming consultants about whether the farmer should go ahead with a new venture, such as branching out into new forms of rural business (diversifying). Examples include offering bed and breakfast or setting up a campsite on farmland. Administrators might also help to apply for government grants.

The administrator also has to follow the laws that affect agriculture, for example, those concerning issues such as health and safety. They also apply for, and maintain, animal passports and complete veterinary medicine records where required. They have to keep accurate and up-to-date staff records for the payment of wages, and they fill in forms to be sent to HM Revenue & Customs for payment of tax and National Insurance. Agricultural administrators usually use computer systems (including online systems) to help with their work. This might be to keep records of stock levels and information about produce and livestock, as well as to produce accurate accounts, budgets and cash flow charts. They also type, send and file letters.

Some agricultural administrators live and work on a farm or an estate. Others are self-employed and mobile, visiting several farmers at regular intervals, such as weekly, monthly or quarterly, to look after their financial and business needs. Some administrators work in rural businesses rather than on farms.

Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.

Personal qualities and skills

As an agricultural administrator, you’ll need:

Number skills and an interest in accounts.
Strong administrative skills with an attention to detail.
IT skills such as the use of computer word-processing, spreadsheet and database packages, together with specialist agricultural software.
An interest in the countryside and rural life.
Strong communication skills and the ability to work with people from many different backgrounds.
To be able to work on your own for much of the time.
The ability to plan your own working day and use your initiative; at busy times of the year, you will be working under pressure.
To continually update your knowledge on farming and industry legislation.
To be reliable and to understand the need for confidentiality. If you are travelling round to different farms, you will need to be able to drive.

Pay and opportunities

Salaries for agricultural administrators vary depending on qualifications, experience and employer. Earnings are in the range of £16,000 a year, rising to around £37,000 a year for senior posts.

Full-time agricultural administrators usually work 37-39 hours per week. However, longer hours might be required during busy times of the year. Part-time, temporary and flexible working arrangements are often available.

Where could I work?

Employers are agricultural businesses including farms and estates, where administrators might sometimes live on the premises. Other employers are accountancy practices and agencies providing secretarial/administrative services to a number of farms. Opportunities for temporary, casual and short-term contract work occur with farm secretarial bureaux and office employment agencies. Opportunities for agricultural administrators occur mainly in rural areas throughout the UK. There are some opportunities in towns and cities.

Some agricultural administrators work independently as freelancers in self-employed practice. Mobile administrators need a full driving licence.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are mainly advertised on the Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators’ website (iagsa.co.uk), in local newspapers and farming magazines, but might sometimes be found on specialist job boards, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

You will need a recognised bookkeeping qualification and relevant work experience to become a Member of the Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators (IAgSA). Recognised qualifications are shown on the IAgSA website and include those from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), the International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB) and the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB), or an HND in Business/Accounting.

IAgSA provides the farm accounting and rural business administration training programme, which is a series of training courses in farm issues, farming knowledge, farm record-keeping and financial recording, and farm office organisation, for people with book-keeping qualifications but without the required farming experience. IAgSA members need to complete continuing professional development each year.

You could enter this profession by completing an relevant apprenticeship with a suitable employers:

Business (level 3 / advanced)
Assistant farm manager (level 4 / higher)

Some agricultural administrators progress to become self-employed as a freelance farm administrator, working independently for many farming or rural businesses. All self-employed agricultural administrators carrying out financial or book-keeping services in private practice need to be registered under the Money Laundering Regulations. IAgSA members are eligible for money laundering registration through HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or via a recognised accounting body like that of the ICB, AAT or IAB.

Qualifications

The usual entry requirements for a bookkeeping qualification are GCSEs at grades 9-4, including English and maths. Equivalent work-related qualifications in business subjects could also be accepted. Some entrants have level 3 qualifications, such as one or more A-levels or an Edexcel (BTEC) National qualification. Some entrants might have a higher education (HE) qualification such as an HND in accounting or business.

Entry requirements for an HND could include one or two A levels, an Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualification or an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, for example. In addition to academic qualifications, it is important for entrants to have a formal book-keeping qualification or at least basic bookkeeping knowledge.

To get onto a level 3 apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths, although you may be able to complete these alongside your programme. To start a higher apprenticeship, you’ll need two A-levels plus GCSEs in English and maths.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Some entrants have a relevant background in, for example office, accounts and administrative work. It is important for entrants to have a formal book-keeping qualification or at least basic book-keeping knowledge. Further guidance on how to start a career in farm administration can be obtained from the Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators (IAgSA). They can help you with the farming knowledge and the difference you will find between farm book-keeping and commercial book-keeping methods, as well as the farm records for crops and livestock that you will come across.

It is possible to enter courses without the usual academic requirements, if you can demonstrate that you have relevant knowledge and skills in, for example, administration or accounting duties and farming knowledge. See the IAgSA Training Programme. Some college courses are aimed specifically at people wanting to gain or update their general keyboard, secretarial and book-keeping skills. These can be organised on a one- or two-term full-time intensive basis, or part-time.

Distance learning: Relevant courses in, for example, word processing, ICT, accounts and administration, are offered by a large number of centres, by distance learning. Recognised qualifications in subjects such as book-keeping and payroll are shown on the IAgSA website; these include distance learning courses from the Association of Accounting Technicians, the International Association of Bookkeepers and the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers.

Related careers

Accounting technician
Agricultural consultant
Farm manager
Fish farm manager
Secretary