Earlier this month, Farmers Weekly reported the New Zealand Shearing Contractors’ Association (NZSCA) is lifting pay rates to encourage shearers to stay in the country.
“In the light of recent cost of living increases we need to ensure our members’ staff don’t get left behind everyone else and our industry remains a competitive and attractive career option,” NZSCA executive officer Phil Holden said.
Shearing of crossbred sheep, all crutching and shearing gang cooks will get a 6.91% pay increase; Merino, half breeds and quarter breeds shearing will receive a 12.38% rise; and advanced shedhands and pressers will get a 12.17% pay rise, seniors 22.81% and junior workers 20%.
Currently, the average pay for sheep shearers in NZ is $2 to $3 a sheep. Shearers with up to three years’ experience earn about $44,000-$65,000 a year, while shearers with more than three years’ experience, who shear between 200-400 sheep a day, can earn between $65,000 and $130,000 a year.
Sheep shearing, dagging (removing all the dirty wool around the rear end and belly of your sheep) and crutching (trimming the wool around the crutch of the sheep) is a trade practised across the globe. It’s also a physically demanding job and, depending on your location, could require months spent away from home working in the hot, summer heat.
Shearing is vital to sheep welfare because removing the heavy coat of wool makes them more comfortable by keeping them cool during warmer months and reduces the risk of parasitic infestation and disease. It also reduces the risk of sheep becoming cast, or stuck on their backs.
Read: Chasing a perfect shearing day
So how does NZ’s rates stack up to other popular shearing nations?
Based on salary survey data collected directly from employers and anonymous employees, the average sheep shearer salary in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is €34,592 (about $57k), or an equivalent hourly rate of €17 (about $28). An entry level shearer (1-3 years of experience) earns an average of €26,941 (about $44k), while a senior level sheep shearer (eight-plus years’ experience) earns an average salary of €40,693 (about $67k).
The average sheep shearing contractor’s gross salary in Ireland is €30,123 (about $49.6k), or an equivalent hourly rate of €14 (about $23). In addition, they earn an average bonus of €660 (about $1080).
The national average salary for a sheep shearer in the United Kingdom is £31,595 (about $61k) and averages around £2 (about $3.87) per head, while shearer salaries in the United States range from US$17,510-US$38,630 (about $26.9k-$59k), with a median salary of US$26,750 ($41.2k). The US’ neighbour, Canada, pays an average of CA$41,443 (about $50.7k), or an hourly rate of $20 (about $24.50), with an average bonus of $908 (about $1112). Depending on experience, sheep shearers can earn between $31,705 (about $38.8k) and $49,455 (about $60.5k).
It’s also important to note that many of these countries only have one shearing season, while NZ’s tends to span over most of the year.
Meanwhile across the ditch, Australian sheep shearers can earn more than AU$2500 (about $2700) a week. Shearers earn a minimum of $3.24 a head, with experienced shearers hitting 200 head a day, taking home AU$2500 for a four-day week.
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