Dairy Farming

It’s a career and a lifestyle

A dairy farming career is everything from caring for animals to learning new skills, enhancing the environment, and earning good money with career progression opportunities.

Dairy Farming roles

You’ll learn something new every day and progress quickly if you are determined, work hard and passionate about the environment, animals, business and people. More than 12,000 farm businesses employ over 30,000 people on farm, so there are many career opportunities.

Dairy Farming is many jobs

Sam Moscrip | Herd Manager

“The career opportunities are endless – from getting your gumboots on in the morning, to being involved in the milk quality and service industry helping farmers, to working for multi-national companies overseas.”

Farming career pathways

School to farming

It’s recommended you study maths, sciences and business; and IT skills are also important. You can start as a farm assistant and learn on the job. You may choose to study towards a qualification while in work, and join farmer groups where you can learn from others.

Tertiary study to dairy farming

Some farmers go to a polytechnic or university and study an agricultural-related certificate, diploma, or degree before going dairy farming. Once farming, they continue to learn from other farmers and take courses while they work.

Scholarships 

DairyNZ scholarships are for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. GrowingNZ has over 400 listings for primary industry cadetship, apprenticeship, summer internship, school student, first time student, undergraduate, and postgraduate opportunities.

Job searches

Ask around or approach a farm. Check out DairyNZ, Farm Source jobs, Trade Me jobs, Seek or Indeed.

Apprenticeships

Earn while you learn. Be part of your local farming community with Federated Farmers Apprenticeship Dairy.

Improve lives, enhance the environment, design the future

Employee and self-employed career pathways

DairyNZ Bright Kiwis

DairyNZ Bright Kiwis is all celebrating dairy sector careers and education. Follow Bright Kiwis for dairy sector opportunities.

 

TeenAg

TeenAg makes agriculture fun and accessible to students from all walks of life, they do not need to be from a farm, they just need to have a love of the land and keen to get their hands dirty.

 

New Zealand Young Farmers

NZYF is a non-profit social organisation which is tonnes of fun with down to earth people. It’s a progressive and dynamic network for rural youth which develops the leadership and personal skills of its members through participation, achievement and having FUN.

   

DairyNZ

From employee and education information including DairyNZ scholarships to research and dairy sector news.

   

Discover your fit

What do you enjoy? Match your skills and interests to a dairy sector career.

Profiles

Read about people and their journeys to successful dairy sector careers.

About DairyNZ

DairyNZ is an organisation that, through research, events, services, education and policy, works with dairy farmers to secure and enhance the profitability, sustainability and competitiveness of New Zealand dairy farming. New Zealand dairy farmers pay DairyNZ a levy to support them.