Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
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Overview
Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. May hire, train, and supervise farm workers or contract for services to carry out the day-to-day activities of the managed operation. May engage in or supervise planting, cultivating, harvesting, and financial and marketing activities.
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Titles for this career often contain these words
ManagerFarmAquacultureDirectorHatcheryCropGreenhouseLivestockOperationsBarnFacilityFieldHorticulturalSuperintendentPlantationPlantPoultryProductionSeedAccreditedAFMAgriculturalAgricultureAnimalHusbandryAnnualCooperativeMarketingProgramPropertyChristmasTreeTenantFarmerGrainTechnicalFeedlotFishFruitNutCropsGameBreedingGardenCenterGeneralGerminationTestingProjectHarvestingSupervisorHorticultureNurseryPerennialHousePineappleCultureHealthProducerArboristPropagationRanchRangeCleaningCornShellfishSowSugar
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Responsibilities and activities

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically do the following:

  • Supervise all steps of crop production or ranging, including planting, fertilizing, harvesting, and herding
  • Make decisions about crops or livestock by evaluating factors such as market conditions, disease, soil conditions, and the availability of federal programs
  • Choose and buy supplies, such as seed, fertilizer, and farm machinery
  • Maintain farming equipment
  • Maintain farm facilities, such as water pipes, fences, and animal shelters
  • Serve as the sales agent for crops, livestock, and dairy products
  • Record financial, tax, production, and employee information

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers monitor the prices for their products. They use different strategies to protect themselves financially from unpredictable changes in the markets. For example, some farmers carefully plan the combination of crops they grow, so that if the price of one crop drops, they have enough income from another crop to make up for the loss. Farmers and ranchers also track disease and weather conditions, either or both of which may negatively impact crop yields or animal health. By planning ahead, farmers and ranchers may be able to store their crops or keep their livestock in order to take advantage of higher prices later in the year.

Some farmers choose to sell a portion of their goods directly to consumers through farmer’s markets or cooperatives to reduce their financial risk and to gain a larger share of the final price of their goods.

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers negotiate with banks and other credit lenders to get financing, because they must buy seed, livestock, and equipment before they have products to sell.

Farmers and ranchers run farms that are primarily family owned. Those who do not own the land themselves may lease it from a landowner to operate as a working farm.

The size of the farm or range determines which tasks farmers and ranchers handle. Those who run small farms or ranges may do all tasks, including harvesting and inspecting the land, growing crops, and raising animals. In addition, they keep records, service machinery, and maintain buildings.

By contrast, farmers and ranchers who run large farms generally hire others—including agricultural workers—to help with physical work. Some of the workers on large farms are in nonfarm occupations, such as truck drivers, sales representatives, bookkeepers, and information technology specialists.

Farmers and ranchers follow improvements in animal breeding methods and seed science, choosing products that may increase output. Livestock and dairy farmers monitor and attend to the health of their herds, which may include assisting in births.

Agricultural managers take care of the day-to-day operations of one or more farms, ranches, nurseries, timber tracts, greenhouses, and other agricultural establishments for corporations, farmers, and owners who do not live and work on their farm or ranch.

Agricultural managers usually do not participate directly in production activities. Instead, they hire and supervise farm and livestock workers to do most of the daily production tasks.

Managers may determine budgets and decide how to store, transport, and sell crops. They also may oversee the maintenance of equipment and property.

The following are examples of types of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers:

Crop farmers and managers are responsible for all stages of plant growth, including planting, fertilizing, watering, and harvesting crops. These farmers may grow grain, fruits, vegetables, and other crops. After a harvest, they make sure that the crops are properly packaged and stored.

Livestock, dairy, and poultry farmers, ranchers, and managers feed and care for animals, such as cows or chickens, in order to harvest meat, milk, or eggs. They keep livestock and poultry in barns, pens, and other farm buildings. These workers also may oversee animal breeding in order to maintain appropriate herd or flock size.

Nursery and greenhouse managers oversee the production of trees, shrubs, flowers, and plants (including turf) used for landscaping. In addition to applying pesticides and fertilizers to help plants grow, they often are responsible for keeping track of marketing activity and inventory.

Aquaculture farmers and managers raise fish and shellfish in ponds, floating net pens, raceways, and recirculating systems. They stock, feed, and maintain aquatic life used for food and recreational fishing.

Salary
Median salary: $68,090 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $42,850 and $96,980.
$68K$0$50K$100K$150K
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
$42K$40K$41K$42K$36K$42K$41K$26K$42K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
Number employed
020K40K60K80K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
About Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Analytical skills
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers monitor and assess the quality of their land or livestock.
Critical-thinking skills
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers determine how to improve their harvest and livestock while reacting to conditions that may affect their short- or long-term plans.
Initiative
Many farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers are self-employed. They must be self-motivated in order to maximize crop or livestock production. 
Interpersonal skills
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers supervise laborers and other workers, so they must be able to communicate and interact with a variety of people.
Mechanical skills
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers operate complex machinery and occasionally perform routine maintenance.
Physical stamina
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers—particularly those who work on small farms—must be able to do physically strenuous, repetitive tasks, such as bending, stooping, and lifting.
Injury and Illness
About 13 farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, which reflects fewer events than in 51% of other careers. The most common specific illnesses or injuries are detailed following.
All multiple traumatic injuries
Fractures
Soreness and pain
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Education and training recommended for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically need at least a high school diploma to enter the occupation. As farm and land management has grown more complex, farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers have increasingly needed postsecondary education, such as an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree, in agriculture or a related field.

Most state university systems have at least one land-grant college or university with a school of agriculture. Programs of study include agricultural economics and business, animal science, and plant science.

There are a number of government programs that help farmers connect with farming services. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has service centers across the country that assist new farmers in accessing USDA programs. These service centers connect farmers with programs such as those that provide financing for land and capital, help with creating a business plan, and input on conservation practices.

Details: Licensing and certification recommended for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

To show competency in farm management, agricultural managers may choose to complete certification programs. The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) offers the Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) credential. AFM requirements include ASFMRA coursework, a bachelor’s degree, experience in farmland management, and passing an exam. A complete list of requirements is available from ASFMRA.

Education level of Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
Only 23% of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education attained by farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
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Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click a program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers per 1,000 workers (ACS)
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
  • In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
  • Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.
We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers (ACS)
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Employment
11% of Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 11% part-time workers, this occupation has a lower percentage of part-time workers than 52% of careers.
11%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
$40K$41K$35K$48K$51K$41K$51K$0$50,000$100,000$150,000Self-employed not incorporatedSelf-employed incorporatedState governmentLocal governmentPrivate not-for-profitPrivate for-profitAll
Gender
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers and gender
With 12% women, this occupation has a lower percentage of women than 77% of careers.
Gender of Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
Men (88%)
Women (12%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
$28K$41K$0$100K$200K$300KWomenMen
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
12%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Context: Salary inequity
The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women by 19%, and the difference for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers tops that, with the median salary for men 49% higher than the median salary for women.
49%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.
Race/origin of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
White (94% )
Other (2% )
Asian (1% )
Multiracial (1% )
Black (1% )
American Indian (1% )
Hispanic (0% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
$27K$28K$31K$32K$34K$38K$41K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120KMultiracialAmerican IndianOtherBlackHispanicAsianWhite
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.