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Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

Also called: Aquaculture Director, Farm Manager, Greenhouse 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.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$89,900
Openings a year BLS, 2025–3570,800
Typical education to start BLSHigh school diploma or equivalent
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Moderate
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 -3.4%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 11 of its 30 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 3.4% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 1.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 17% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 78% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$63k$111knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Arkansas$63,920$38,730 to $123,57050
California$109,140$96,630 to $142,1801,650
Florida$87,080$74,770 to $141,370320
Georgia$95,900$66,790 to $103,57050
Hawaii$68,750$55,750 to $87,91080
Idaho$81,010$74,090 to $103,540250
Illinois$99,440$72,860 to $144,910120
Indiana$83,100$65,330 to $104,14090
Iowa$77,930$62,270 to $104,470180
Kansas$102,490$65,800 to $137,64040
Kentucky$74,640$67,140 to $98,910110
Maryland$67,600$47,840 to $104,670140
Michigan$82,620$57,400 to $105,000270
Minnesota$65,900$64,930 to $78,000160
Mississippi$95,210$61,110 to $112,93080
Missouri$77,650$66,780 to $95,41060
Montana$110,250$62,780 to $121,96030
Nebraska$111,460$75,950 to $134,950200
New Jersey$86,380$73,440 to $112,520not published
New York$89,370$57,130 to $128,480130
North Carolina$80,540$49,990 to $118,990250
Ohio$65,990$58,830 to $85,990100
Oklahoma$69,050$51,000 to $79,42080
Oregon$81,560$69,820 to $93,730190
Pennsylvania$76,040$58,540 to $91,41080
South Carolinanot publishednot published40
Texas$85,990$62,750 to $108,540610
Virginia$66,780$57,410 to $83,63050
Washington$103,240$82,740 to $131,750140
West Virginia$62,740$54,830 to $87,89050
Wisconsin$86,320$80,790 to $107,36030

Nationally: $89,900. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 11 of its 30 tasks

3 · AI alone could halve the time 8 · AI + software built on it could 19 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Collect and record growth, production, and environmental data. Not published
AI alone Determine how to allocate resources and to respond to unanticipated problems, such as insect infestation, drought, and fire. Not published
Not much Manage nurseries that grow horticultural plants for sale to trade or retail customers, for display or exhibition, or for research. Not published
Not much Determine plant growing conditions, such as greenhouses, hydroponics, or natural settings, and set planting and care schedules. Not published
AI + software Prepare reports required by state and federal laws. Not published
Not much Direct and monitor the transfer of mature fish to lakes, ponds, streams, or commercial tanks. Not published
See all 30 tasks
Not much Inspect facilities and equipment for signs of disrepair, and perform necessary maintenance work. Not published
AI + software Coordinate clerical, record-keeping, inventory, requisitioning, and marketing activities. Not published
AI + software Maintain financial, operational, production, or employment records for farms or ranches. Not published
AI + software Devise and participate in activities to improve fish hatching and growth rates, and to prevent disease in hatcheries. Not published
Not much Direct and monitor trapping and spawning of fish, egg incubation, and fry rearing, applying knowledge of management and fish culturing techniques. Not published
Not much Coordinate the selection and maintenance of brood stock. Not published
Not much Position and regulate plant irrigation systems, and program environmental and irrigation control computers. Not published
Not much Direct the breeding or raising of stock, such as cattle, poultry, or honeybees, using recognized breeding practices to ensure stock improvement. Not published
AI + software Negotiate with buyers for the sale, storage, or shipment of crops or livestock. Not published
Not much Analyze soil to determine types or quantities of fertilizer required for maximum crop production. Not published
AI alone Provide information to customers on the care of trees, shrubs, flowers, plants, and lawns. 0.01%
Not much Supervise the construction of farm or ranch structures, such as buildings, fences, drainage systems, wells, or roads. Not published
Not much Analyze market conditions to determine acreage allocations. Not published
Not much Replace chemical insecticides with environmentally friendly practices, such as adding pest-repelling plants to fields. Not published
Not much Conduct inspections to determine crop maturity or condition or to detect disease or insect infestation. under 0.01%
Not much Conduct or supervise stock examinations to identify diseases or parasites. Not published
Not much Determine types or quantities of crops, plants, or livestock to be grown and raised, based on budgets, federal incentives, market conditions, executive directives, projected sales volumes, or soil conditions. Not published
AI alone Determine, administer, and execute policies relating to operations administration and standards, facility maintenance, and safety. Not published
Not much Direct crop production operations, such as planning, tilling, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, spraying, and harvesting. Not published
AI + software Evaluate marketing or sales alternatives for products. 0.01%
Not much Hire, supervise, and train support workers. Not published
Not much Monitor activities, such as irrigation, chemical application, harvesting, milking, breeding, and grading, to ensure adherence to safety regulations or standards. Not published
Not much Monitor environments to ensure maintenance of optimum animal or plant life. Not published
AI + software Obtain financing for and purchase necessary machinery, land, supplies, or livestock. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. O*NET hasn't rated 10 of the tasks, so they come last, in O*NET's own order. 3 of the 30 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 30 tasks fall under 28 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up11 of 30 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most3 of 28 activities
  • #33 Compile records, documentation, or other data
  • #34 Advise others on products or services
  • #36 Purchase goods or services
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Manage agricultural or forestry operations 0.13#312 0.02#304
Determine resource needs of projects or operations 6.29#111 2.93#115
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Perform agricultural activities 2.36#186 0.12#266
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Advise others on products or services 51#34 240#9
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Show all 28 activities
Analyze business or financial data 14#73 3.50#106
Develop operational or technical procedures or standards 13#79 9.18#68
Execute financial transactions 9.32#95 0.16#253
Maintain tools or equipment 4.47#136 1.04#167
Test characteristics of materials or products 3.64#152 0.75#177
Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance 3.59#153 0.73#180
Prepare legal or regulatory documents 3.40#156 0.50#204
Analyze data to improve operations 3.31#159 1.09#162
Inspect facilities or equipment 2.73#174 0.73#181
Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes 2.70#175 1.31#148
Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards 2.67#176 4.32#99
Develop business or marketing plans 2.26#190 0.72#182
Evaluate production inputs or outputs 2.18#194 0.81#171
Train others on operational or work procedures 1.60#211 29#38
Examine people or animals to assess health conditions or physical characteristics 1.54#212 0.13#264
Negotiate contracts or agreements 1.06#233 0.13#263
Perform recruiting or hiring activities 0.99#237 0.43#217
Develop contingency or emergency response plans 0.84#246 0.62#189
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Direct construction or extraction activities 0.06#321 0.03#293
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures” holds 2 tasks rated AI + software or AI alone, yet people asked AI for help with it in 1.85 of every 10,000 conversations, #204 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • Advice or a recommendation25%
  • An explanation or answer20%
  • A plan or strategy18%
  • Ideas or a brainstorm13%
  • A document or report7%

How they worked with Claude

43% handed the task off57% worked on it together

47% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers: -3.4%Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers: -3.4%Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 13,563 moves out

  1. 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 7%
  2. 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
  3. 3 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 5%
  4. 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
  5. 5 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%

Where people moved in from

of 17,667 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  2. 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
  3. 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 4%
  4. 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
  5. 5 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 3%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 12% less than high school
  • 32% high school
  • 18% some college
  • 12% associate's
  • 21% bachelor's
  • 4% master's
  • 1% professional degree

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 8,251 people surveyed.

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
34 programs, such as Agricultural Business and Management, General, Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations and Farm/Farm and Ranch Management.
See all
  • Agricultural Business and Management, General
  • Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations
  • Farm/Farm and Ranch Management
  • Agricultural Business and Management, Other
  • Agricultural Production Operations, General
  • Animal/Livestock Husbandry and Production
  • Aquaculture
  • Crop Production
  • Dairy Husbandry and Production
  • Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management
  • Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture
  • Apiculture
  • Agricultural Production Operations, Other
  • Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
  • Ornamental Horticulture
  • Greenhouse Operations and Management
  • Plant Nursery Operations and Management
  • Public Horticulture
  • Urban and Community Horticulture
  • Animal Sciences, General
  • Agricultural Animal Breeding
  • Animal Health
  • Animal Nutrition
  • Dairy Science
  • Livestock Management
  • Poultry Science
  • Animal Sciences, Other
  • Viticulture and Enology
  • Plant Sciences, General
  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Horticultural Science
  • Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management
  • Range Science and Management
  • Anthrozoology

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

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