Agricultural Workers

How to become a Farmworker

Official title: Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

Also called: Cowboy, Farm Hand, Farrowing Worker, Herdsman, Livestock Handler, Milking Worker, Ranch Hand, Rancher, Vaccinator, Wrangler

Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, milking, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep and collect eggs in hatcheries.

Main tasks

Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.
Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.
Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.
Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.
Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.
Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences.

How to become one

Most agricultural workers do not need a formal educational credential to enter these occupations; however, animal breeders typically need a high school diploma. Agricultural workers typically receive on-the-job training.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

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

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Fish Hatchery Worker.
Licence: A licence is required in 6 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $36,670 a year The middle half earn $31,020 to $45,700.
About 202,100 people work in this job now, and about 195,700 are projected by 2035. (-3.2%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Farmworker?

How much does a Farmworker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $36,670 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $31,020 to $45,700.

Is a Farmworker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 202,100 to about 195,700 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Farmworker?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Fish Hatchery Worker.

Will AI change the work of a Farmworker?

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.