How to become a Farmer, Rancher or Other Agricultural Manager

Official title: Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

Also called: Aquaculture Director, Farm Manager, Farm Operations Technical Director, Fish Hatchery Manager, Greenhouse Manager, Harvesting Manager, Hatchery Manager, Hatchery Supervisor, Nursery Manager, Ranch Manager

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.

Main tasks

• 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.

How to become one

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically need at least a high school diploma and work experience in a related occupation.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Beekeeper.
• Apprenticeship: Farmer, General (Agric).
• Apprenticeship: Organic Vegetable Farm Manager.
• Licence: A licence is required in 14 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $89,900 a year The middle half earn $66,300 to $118,860.
• About 788,700 people work in this job now, and about 762,200 are projected by 2035. (-3.4%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Medical and Health Services Managers
• Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare
• Construction Managers
• Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
• Education Administrators, Postsecondary
• Architectural and Engineering Managers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Farmer, Rancher or Other Agricultural Manager?

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically need at least a high school diploma and work experience in a related occupation.

How much does a Farmer, Rancher or Other Agricultural Manager earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $89,900 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $66,300 to $118,860.

Is a Farmer, Rancher or Other Agricultural Manager a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 788,700 to about 762,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Farmer, Rancher or Other Agricultural Manager?

Not always. 28% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Beekeeper.

Will AI change the work of a Farmer, Rancher or Other Agricultural Manager?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.