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Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers in California

Thinking about a career as a Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers in California? Here’s what you need to know. 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. Excludes “First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers” (45-1011).

What do Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Make in California?

For a farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers working in California, the typical annual salary is $107,780 per year (or about $51.82/hour).Annual wages span from $73,940 at the 10th percentile to $194,020 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$73,940	$35.55
25th percentile	$91,130	$43.81
Median (50th)	$107,780	$51.82
75th percentile	$136,070	$65.42
90th percentile	$194,020	$93.28

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in California compared to the national average — is 1.94, indicating that farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers earn a median of $84,680 per year ($40.71/hour), higher than the California median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 201,722 farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers across the United States. In California alone, around 1,340 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 100 farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.

Top California Metros for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

The largest metro-area employers of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Fresno, CA	180	$97,740
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	100	$101,090
Salinas, CA	90	$122,820
Stockton-Lodi, CA	80	$112,690
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	70	$111,260
Napa, CA	70	$124,170
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	70	$121,950
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	60	$105,340
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	60	$102,780
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	50	$101,150
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	50	$123,380
Modesto, CA	40	$107,100
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	40	$119,700
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	40	$110,990
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	40	$103,280
Merced, CA	30	n/a

Top States for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Employment

The table below shows the states where the most farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers work.

State	Number Employed
California	1,340
Texas	560
Florida	400
North Carolina	180
Iowa	150
Ohio	140
Nebraska	130
Washington	110
Indiana	110
Oklahoma	110
Hawaii	100
New York	100
Minnesota	100
Kentucky	90
Maryland	80
Oregon	60
Virginia	60
Wisconsin	40
Massachusetts	40
Kansas	40

Highest-Paying States for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

The highest-paying states for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.

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

Skills

The most important farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically:

• 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.
• Prepare reports required by state and federal laws.
• Inspect facilities and equipment for signs of disrepair, and perform necessary maintenance work.
• Maintain financial, operational, production, or employment records for farms or ranches.
• Coordinate clerical, record-keeping, inventory, requisitioning, and marketing activities.

Work Activities

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Scheduling Work and Activities
• Thinking Creatively
• Getting Information
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Atlassian Confluence In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Other careers like farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers include:

• Industrial Production Managers
• Biofuels Production Managers
• Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products
• Farm Labor Contractors
• Agricultural Engineers
• Animal Scientists

Also Known As

Accredited Farm Manager (AFM), Activation Manager, Agricultural Crop Farm Manager, Agricultural Manager, Agriculture Farmer, Agriculture Manager, Agronomy Manager, Agronomy Operations Manager, Animal Husbandry Manager, Annual Greenhouse Manager, Aquaculture Cooperative Marketing Director, Aquaculture Director, Aquaculture Farm Manager, Aquaculture Program Director, Barn and Property Manager.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 11-9013.00