Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

What Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

5 years or more

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

62.6%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Administration and Managementimportance 4.1/5
• Production and Processingimportance 3.9/5
• Biologyimportance 3.8/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 3.4/5
• English Languageimportance 3.4/5
• Food Productionimportance 3.4/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 3.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
• Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.8/5
• Freedom to Make Decisions4.5/5
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.5/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
• Contact With Others4.3/5

Related Careers

• Agricultural Technicians
• Agricultural Engineers
• Soil and Plant Scientists
• First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
• Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
• Industrial Production Managers
• Food Scientists and Technologists
• Conservation Scientists

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Facilities Managers96% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers95% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers94% skill match
• Industrial Production Managers94% skill match
• Pest Control Workers93% skill match
• Chefs and Head Cooks93% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers92% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers92% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.6/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.5/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.5/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.4/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.4/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.1/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Leadership Orientation
• Dependability
• Perseverance
• Attention to Detail
• Achievement Orientation
• Initiative
• Adaptability

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• RealisticHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• InvestigativeLow
• SocialLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Napa, CA45.85× national avg
2. 2Yuma, AZ21.26× national avg
3. 3Visalia, CA17.67× national avg
4. 4Salinas, CA12.17× national avg
5. 5Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA10.68× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersCareer Change
• Industrial Production ManagersLateral Move
• Chefs and Head CooksCareer Change
• First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersCareer Change

See the full career path from Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.