How much does a beekeeper earn? The not-so-rich side of the professionals who grow honey from bees
beekeeping It is a sector that manages to attract honey and bee fans, being an activity that can be carried out as a main activity or as a complementary one. Dedicated to the planning, organization, breeding, collection and care of these insects, there has always been great interest in knowing how much money can a beekeeper earn.
As with many other job sectors, the salary of a beekeeper depends on different factors and variables, ranging from the size of the farm to production and the market, so it is advisable to know its characteristics before being able to know the remuneration of these professionals.
To begin, it is necessary to know how to distinguish between the different categories of beekeeperswhich depend on the work they do and the number of hives, so we can distinguish between:
- Hobbyist beekeepers: They usually have less than a dozen hives and are dedicated to producing honey for their own consumption or for their loved ones. This type of beekeeper does not usually generate income from their activity, so they are not taken into account when analyzing the salaries of these professionals.
- Multiactive beekeepers: They are those who, in addition to working in beekeeping, have another professional activity, often related to agriculture. In their case, they usually have between 10 and 150 hives, generating income that is added to that of their main activity.
- Professional beekeepers: They are full-time beekeepers who dedicate themselves exclusively to beekeeping and who own at least 150 hives, with the income from this activity being their main source of economic subsistence.
In this way, we can find that the salary of a beekeeper depends largely on the way in which he organizes his activity and the number of hives he has.
In any case, it is important to emphasize that these professionals They don’t have a fixed salary as a beekeeper, as is the case with a monthly wage earner, given that income will vary depending on different factors such as the production of honey and other products from the hives (pollen, propolis, royal jelly…), as well as external factors such as weather conditions, which directly influence production.
What is the salary of a beekeeper?
Taking into account the above, a Full-time professional beekeeper with between 150 and 300 hives can enjoy an annual income of between 15,000 and 30,000 euroswhile the pluriactive ones obtain a measure of 20% of the total income from the exploitation of their hives.
However, it must be taken into account that in addition to the sale of honey and other by-products, some beekeepers manage to generate extra income through different tasks, ranging from training, by giving beekeeping workshops to amateurs, to sale of swarms and queens for the creation of new colonies.
They also provide services to farmers, since in some crops, such as almond trees or sunflowers, bees are needed for pollination and beekeepers can charge for using their hives for this work.
In any case, the salary of beekeepers It fluctuates greatly depending on different factors such as production, because if the honey is good, the salary will be higher, as well as market prices, which depend on the existing demand and its prices in the market. It will also be determined by the size of the farm and the cost of labor, as well as the rest of the expenses related to the activity.
