Rural Payments and Services

A single minimum hourly rate for all agricultural workers, irrespective of age and duties has been proposed by the Scottish Agricultural Wage Board (SAWB).

If approved, the minimum hourly rate would increase by £0.50 per hour to equal the UK Government’s National Living Wage of £12.71.

The proposed headline minimum rates are:

• the overtime rate for all workers remains at 1.5 times the agreed hourly rate and will be £19.07 per hour
• an hourly rate of £8.00 – a 0.35p per hour increase - for workers who undertake an SCQF Level 4 or 5 or equivalent in Agriculture / Horticulture
• an additional sum of £1.91 per hour for workers who have appropriate qualifications
• where it is necessary for a worker to keep and feed a dog (or dogs) to enable them to do their job then they must be paid an allowance of £11.18 per working dog up to a maximum of four dogs
• the daily rate for accommodation off-set for accommodation provided by an employer other than a house is to be frozen at £10.66

Please send any comments on the above proposal in writing to the SAWB by 4 March 2026.

SAWB
Scottish Government
D Spur
Saughton House
Broomhouse Drive
Edinburgh
EH11 3XD

or email - SAWB@gov.scot

Background

SAWB will meet again in March 2026 to consider any feedback received to the proposed increases. Following discussion and if appropriate, SAWB members will then agree a Wages Order that will come into effect from 1 April 2026.

The Scottish Agricultural Wage Board (SAWB) is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) established under the Agricultural Wage (Scotland) Act 1949. The Board exists to set minimum rates of pay and other conditions of service for agricultural workers in Scotland.