Sheep Shearing as a Career? How good is it?

Sheep shearing is hard work – you need to be fit, strong and willing to put in long hours. If you’ve got the desire and commitment to make sheep shearing your career, however, the rewards can be excellent. Here are some facts to consider before making your mind up one way or the other.

Local Job Opportunities

Chances of getting a job as a shearer are good during the peak season – during summer and autumn – but only average during the rest of the year. In recent years there has been a shortage of qualified shearers. Shearing contractors reported in January 2013, for example, that they needed to bring in shearers from overseas to help cope with the workload.

Travelling Abroad for Work

There are many job opportunities around the world as a sheep shearer, from Norway to the United Kingdom to the United States. Finding work in multiple countries gives you the chance to travel and get a taste for different cultures, meeting a wide range of people and sharing unique experiences. There aren’t many better ways to work and travel at the same time.

A Lucrative Career

A canny sheep shearer can make quite a lot of money on a good day. Shearers can earn around $145 for every 100 sheep they shear, making it possible to earn decent money for a hard day’s work. Trainee shearers normally manage a couple of hundred sheep per day, while experienced shearers can get through 400 or more.

Seasonal Job

As a sheep shearer you’ll probably work for six to eight months a year, from May to mid-August and November to January. During the off season, you can either find different forms of work or head abroad for other opportunities. This gives you the chance for adventure and a change of scenery, keeping your shearing skills intact at the same time.