Beef Cattle Farmer

A beef cattle farmer owns and operates a farm or grazing property dedicated to raising cattle for meat production. They manage breeding programmes, animal health and welfare, pasture and feed systems, and financial operations to ensure profitability and compliance with animal welfare and environmental regulations. The role encompasses daily hands-on farm work alongside strategic business decisions about herd management, market sales, and property maintenance.

Plan and implement breeding programmes to improve herd genetics, growth rates, and meat quality characteristics. Monitor cattle health daily, identify signs of disease or injury, and administer basic treatments or arrange veterinary care. Manage pasture rotation and grazing systems to maintain feed quality and prevent overgrazing and soil degradation. Procure and budget for supplementary feed, including hay, grain, and supplements, based on seasonal availability and herd requirements. Maintain detailed herd records including birth dates, vaccination records, weight gain data, and parentage for breeding decisions. Comply with animal welfare standards under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and model codes of practice for livestock transport and slaughter. Organise cattle mustering, handling, and transport for veterinary treatment, weaning, or sale at livestock markets or direct to processors. Manage property infrastructure including fencing, water systems, feed storage, and cattle yards to ensure animal safety and operational efficiency.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You're betting your income on cattle prices and weather you can't control. Droughts can wipe out pasture overnight, disease can kill your herd, and meat prices swing wildly. You'll work seven days a week during mustering and calving season with no days off. Entry requires either inheriting land or buying it at huge cost, which most career changers can't afford.

Most operations are on private family properties in regional and remote areas, not in cities. You need to own or lease land to operate, so relocation is essential and remote work doesn't apply.

• Administer treatment to animalscore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Supplier Communicationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Administer drugs to facilitate breeding
• Advise on animal purchase
• Advise on animal welfare
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Digital Literacy
• Invoicing and Billing Administration
• Negotiation
• Process Improvement Identification
• Research and Analysis
• Written Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Beef Cattle Farmer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026