Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers: Career 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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The Daily Work of Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers span:
- Collect and record growth, production, and environmental data.
- Manage nurseries that grow horticultural plants for sale to trade or retail customers, for display or exhibition, or for research.
- Direct and monitor trapping and spawning of fish, egg incubation, and fry rearing, applying knowledge of management and fish culturing techniques.
- Direct and monitor the transfer of mature fish to lakes, ponds, streams, or commercial tanks.
- Determine how to allocate resources and to respond to unanticipated problems, such as insect infestation, drought, and fire.
- Determine plant growing conditions, such as greenhouses, hydroponics, or natural settings, and set planting and care schedules.
- Devise and participate in activities to improve fish hatching and growth rates, and to prevent disease in hatcheries.
- Position and regulate plant irrigation systems, and program environmental and irrigation control computers.
What Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Need to Know
Successful farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Accredited Farm Manager (AFM)
- Activation Manager
- Agricultural Crop Farm Manager
- Agricultural Manager
- Agriculture Farmer
- Agriculture Manager
- Agronomy Manager
- Agronomy Operations Manager
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 201,722 farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +14.7% over the projection horizon.
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $84,680 |
| Hourly median | $40.71 |
| 10th percentile | $50,703 |
| 25th percentile | $67,692 |
| 75th percentile | $101,669 |
| 90th percentile | $118,658 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $107,780 |
| Maine | $104,000 |
| Iowa | $100,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,440 |
| Florida | $94,990 |
| Wisconsin | $94,100 |
| Montana | $92,760 |
| Illinois | $90,370 |
| Washington | $89,450 |
| Maryland | $88,770 |
| Oregon | $88,620 |
| Massachusetts | $88,290 |
| Minnesota | $85,060 |
| Michigan | $83,990 |
| Virginia | $79,770 |
| North Carolina | $79,690 |
| Kansas | $79,280 |
| New York | $78,130 |
| Missouri | $76,280 |
| Nebraska | $76,200 |
| New Jersey | $73,900 |
| Texas | $72,220 |
| Indiana | $68,610 |
| Kentucky | $67,930 |
| Hawaii | $66,870 |
| Oklahoma | $64,500 |
| Ohio | $63,150 |
| West Virginia | $56,200 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $103,272 | 40.1% | 1.96 |
| Rocky Mountains | $92,760 | 0.7% | 1.69 |
| New England | $88,290 | 1.0% | 0.28 |
| Southeast | $86,630 | 18.2% | 0.98 |
| Plains States | $86,275 | 11.5% | 2.08 |
| Middle Atlantic | $82,858 | 4.5% | 0.50 |
| Southwest | $70,952 | 16.7% | 1.17 |
| Great Lakes | $69,490 | 7.2% | 0.72 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | CA | $124,170 | 70 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $123,380 | 50 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $122,820 | 90 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $121,950 | 70 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $119,700 | 40 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | CA | $112,690 | 80 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | CA | $111,260 | 70 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $110,990 | 40 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2,560 | $94,170 |
| Wholesale Trade | 520 | $100,480 |
| Manufacturing | 420 | $97,970 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 360 | n/a |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 350 | $137,910 |
| Educational Services | 330 | $76,010 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 240 | $85,600 |
| Retail Trade | 170 | $80,970 |
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers work in the following industries:
Software Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Atlassian Confluence (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Biofuels Production Managers (Primary-Long)
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (Primary-Long)
- Farm Labor Contractors (Supplemental)
- Agricultural Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Animal Scientists (Supplemental)
- Food Scientists and Technologists (Primary-Long)
- Soil and Plant Scientists (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers often complete programs in:
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
33 programs across 6 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9013.00 (Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers).
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