Farmer: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.
The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.
10% of farmers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $54,320
- Hourly
- $26.12
- Source
- BLS May 2025
25% of farmers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $66,300
- Hourly
- $31.87
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Half of farmers earn more than this and half earn less.
- Annual
- $89,900
- Hourly
- $43.22
- Source
- BLS May 2025
75% of farmers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $118,860
- Hourly
- $57.14
- Source
- BLS May 2025
90% of farmers earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $160,020
- Hourly
- $76.93
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Farmers plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. The median pay is $89,900 a year ($43.22 an hour) (BLS, May 2025).
- Median pay
- $89,900
- BLS May 2025
- Employed in the U.S.
- 6,500
- BLS May 2025
- Preparation
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- considerable preparation
Data Government data groups this job as Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers (O*NET-SOC 11-9013.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
Farmers at a glance
Workers in the BLS occupation “Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers” in the United States earned a median annual wage of $89,900 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for workers in the BLS occupation “Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers” in the United States.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
BLS projects employment of workers in the BLS occupation “Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers” in the United States to decline 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 70,800 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
BLS estimated that 6,500 people were employed in the BLS occupation “Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers” in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Every page for Farmers
What farmers do day to day
Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).
- 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.
Industries that employ it
Data Share of all farmer jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).
- Crop production18.4% of all jobs in this occupation · +8.8% projected change here 2025–35
- Animal production and aquaculture12.3% of all jobs in this occupation · +1.6% projected change here 2025–35
- Support activities for agriculture and forestry1.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $107,600
- Fishing, hunting and trapping0.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +0.4% projected change here 2025–35
- Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods0.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +1.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $96,660
- Professional, scientific, and technical services0.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +15.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $71,160
Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.
Ranked by importance to the job
Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.
Knowledge areas: Administration and Management, Production and Processing, Biology, Mathematics, Personnel and Human Resources, English Language.
Software farmers use
Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.
- Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
- Atlassian ConfluenceCloud-based data access and sharing softwareHot technology
- FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
- Microsoft VisioProcess mapping and design softwareHot technology
- AGCO Advanced Technology Solutions FieldstarIndustrial control software
- CDA International Manifold SystemMap creation software
- Countryside Data Ag PayrollTime accounting software
- DIVA-GISGeographic information system
- Delta Data Systems AGISGeographic information system
- ESRI ArcPadGeographic information system
- Geographic information system GIS systemsGeographic information system
- Geographic resources analysis support system GRASSMap creation software
Also called: Aquaculture Director, Farm Manager, Farm Operations Technical Director, Fish Hatchery Manager, Greenhouse Manager, Harvesting Manager.
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How this page is built
Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.
- How a specific employer defines the job.
- Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.