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What You Need to Know About Farm or Ranch Manager

Job Description & Duties Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. May hire, train, or 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, financial, or marketing activities.

List of Farm or Ranch Manager Job Duties

Direct the breeding or raising of stock, such as cattle, poultry, or honeybees, using recognized breeding practices to ensure stock improvement.
Select or purchase machinery, equipment, livestock, or supplies, such as seed, feed, fertilizer, or chemicals.
Monitor pasture or grazing land use to ensure that livestock are properly fed or that conservation methods, such as rotational grazing, are used.
Direct crop production operations, such as planning, tilling, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, spraying, or harvesting.
Obtain financing necessary for purchases of machinery, land, supplies, or livestock.
Prepare budgets or financial reports for farm or ranch operations.

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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Farm or Ranch Manager?

These are the skills Farm and Ranch Managers say are the most useful in their careers:

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Farm Field Manager
Farm Rancher
Crop, Grain, or Livestock Farmer
Inside Horticultural Specialty Grower
Herdsman

Is There Job Demand for Farm and Ranch Managers?

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 1,028,700 jobs in the United States for Farm or Ranch Manager. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Farm or Ranch Manager. The BLS estimates 74,300 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Farm or Ranch Manager are Oregon, Nevada, and Massachusetts. Watch out if you plan on working in South Carolina, California, or Hawaii. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Farm and Ranch Managers Salary

The salary for Farm and Ranch Managers ranges between about $35,440 and $136,940 a year.

Farm and Ranch Managers who work in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, or North Carolina, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Farm and Ranch Managers in different U.S. states.

State	Annual Mean Salary
Arizona	$75,870
Arkansas	$67,520
California	$91,670
Florida	$71,880
Georgia	$84,110
Idaho	$60,470
Illinois	$66,820
Indiana	$64,030
Iowa	$82,070
Kentucky	$78,290
Louisiana	$75,170
Maryland	$89,660
Massachusetts	$65,710
Michigan	$67,030
Minnesota	$95,000
Missouri	$62,850
Nebraska	$67,190
Nevada	$90,900
North Carolina	$100,370
Ohio	$78,330
Oklahoma	$57,230
Oregon	$68,450
Pennsylvania	$90,650
South Carolina	$79,070
Tennessee	$60,490
Texas	$81,330
Virginia	$84,630
Washington	$86,640
Wisconsin	$72,550
Wyoming	$84,720

Tools & Technologies Used by Farm and Ranch Managers

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Farm and Ranch Managers:

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Outlook
Web browser software
Email software
SAP
Global positioning system GPS software
Payroll software
Geographic resources analysis support system GRASS
MapInfo
ESRI ArcPad
John Deere Apex Farm Management
Ag Leader Technology SMS Advanced
Midwest MicroSystems Cow Sense
CDA International Manifold System
SST Development Group SSToolbox
Cattlesoft CattleMax
Global Mapper Software Global Mapper

Becoming a Farm or Ranch Manager

Learn what Farm or Ranch Manager education requirements there are.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Farm or Ranch Manager?

References:

Image Credit: Billy Hathorn via Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

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