Agricultural contractor
14.3K UK workers · typical pay – · entry route GCSEs grades 4-9 (A*-C). Projected headcount change: +3% to 2035.
Real Claude.ai usage mapped to this occupation's SOC group, Apr+May 2026, CC-BY. Claude users only; task times model-estimated; augment/automate is how AI is used, not a count of jobs lost. Method →
The core of this role involves physically demanding tasks in unpredictable outdoor environments, such as animal husbandry, machinery repair, and fence maintenance, which are difficult to automate. While AI and precision agriculture can optimize crop spraying and harvesting schedules, the requirement for manual dexterity and physical presence in the UK's varied terrain provides a strong barrier to AI replacement.
While cheaper services might unlock more frequent maintenance and precision land management, the total output is fundamentally capped by the fixed acreage of UK farmland.
Headcount drifts +3% across 12 years.
Change the scenario in the nav to reshape this curve.
UK employment share by region, SOC-joined to 1211.
Majority-male role (80.6% men).
Five roles with transferable skills and better demand dynamics.
agricultural-contractor · dataset 2026.03 · CC-BY-4.0