Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $66,300–$118,860. 6,500 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
35% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $52,473.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 70,800 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture Production And Management | 13% | Agricultural Business · Agriculture |
| Animal Sciences | 8% | Animal Sciences |
| General Agriculture | 8% | — |
| Plant Science And Agronomy | 6% | Plant Sciences |
| General Business | 5% | Business |
| Business Management And Administration | 4% | Business Administration |
| Biology | 3% | Biology |
| Political Science And Government | 2% | Political Science |
| Natural Resources Management | 2% | Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy · Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management |
| Finance | 2% | Finance · Insurance |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Nebraska | $111,460 |
| Montana | $110,250 |
| California | $109,140 |
| Washington | $103,240 |
| Kansas | $102,490 |
| Illinois | $99,440 |
| Georgia | $95,900 |
| Mississippi | $95,210 |
| New York | $89,370 |
| Florida | $87,080 |
| New Jersey | $86,380 |
| Wisconsin | $86,320 |
| Texas | $85,990 |
| Indiana | $83,100 |
| Michigan | $82,620 |
| Oregon | $81,560 |
| Idaho | $81,010 |
| North Carolina | $80,540 |
| Iowa | $77,930 |
| Missouri | $77,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,040 |
| Kentucky | $74,640 |
| Oklahoma | $69,050 |
| Hawaii | $68,750 |
| Maryland | $67,600 |
| Virginia | $66,780 |
| Ohio | $65,990 |
| Minnesota | $65,900 |
| Arkansas | $63,920 |
| West Virginia | $62,740 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$86,180
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$80,550
California metro areas
- Fresno$104,600
- Napa$158,660
- Bakersfield-Delano$123,340
- Visalia$98,040
- Stockton-Lodi$101,990
- Salinas$122,630
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma$108,310
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$103,260
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Knowledge used
- Administration and Management
- Production and Processing
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Personnel and Human Resources
Work styles
- Leadership Orientation
- Dependability
- Perseverance
- Attention to Detail
- Achievement Orientation
People in this job tend to have Enterprising (leading), Realistic (hands-on), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers: questions
How much do farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers make?
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers earn a U.S. median $89,900 a year; the middle half earn $66,300 to $118,860 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $47,226 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers a growing field?
BLS projects a decline of 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 70,800 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Manager?
BLS lists the typical entry education as high school diploma or equivalent. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is agriculture Production And Management (13%).
How much do farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $87,080 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $89,900 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 11-9013. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/farmers-ranchers-and-other-agricultural-managers.