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Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers: Job Description
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.
What Tasks Do Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Do?
The core tasks performed by 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
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
How Many Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Are There?
There are about 201,722 farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected 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 |
Wages vary widely 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
Earnings for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| 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 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| 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 bulk 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 |
Below are examples of industries where farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers work:
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)
The Day-to-Day 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
Getting Started in This Career
The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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)
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced 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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