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Farm or Ranch Manager

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What is a Farm or Ranch Manager?

Job Description: Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. May hire, train, or 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, financial, or marketing activities.

What Do Farm and Ranch Managers Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Buy or sell futures contracts or price farm products in advance of future sales to minimize risk or maximize profits.
  • Change processes such as drying, grading, storing, or shipping to improve efficiency or profitability.
  • Hire, train, or supervise workers engaged in planting, cultivating, irrigating, harvesting, or marketing crops, or in raising livestock.
  • Inspect farm or ranch structures, such as buildings, fences, or roads, ordering repair or maintenance activities, as needed.
  • Plan crop activities based on factors such as crop maturity or weather conditions.
  • Analyze market conditions to determine acreage allocations.

What a Farm or Ranch Manager Should Know

Farm and Ranch Managers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Types of Farm or Ranch Manager Jobs

  • Truck Farmer
  • Production Superintendent
  • Fruit or Nut Farmer
  • Accredited Farm Manager (AFM)
  • Grain Farmer

Job Opportunities for Farm and Ranch Managers

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 1,028,700 jobs in the United States for Farm or Ranch Manager. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Farm or Ranch Manager. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 74,300 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Farm or Ranch Manager are Oregon, Nevada, and Massachusetts. Watch out if you plan on working in South Carolina, California, or Hawaii. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Farm and Ranch Managers Salary

The typical yearly salary for Farm and Ranch Managers is somewhere between $35,440 and $136,940.

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Farm and Ranch Managers who work in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, or North Carolina, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Farm and Ranch Managers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Arizona $75,870
Arkansas $67,520
California $91,670
Florida $71,880
Georgia $84,110
Idaho $60,470
Illinois $66,820
Indiana $64,030
Iowa $82,070
Kentucky $78,290
Louisiana $75,170
Maryland $89,660
Massachusetts $65,710
Michigan $67,030
Minnesota $95,000
Missouri $62,850
Nebraska $67,190
Nevada $90,900
North Carolina $100,370
Ohio $78,330
Oklahoma $57,230
Oregon $68,450
Pennsylvania $90,650
South Carolina $79,070
Tennessee $60,490
Texas $81,330
Virginia $84,630
Washington $86,640
Wisconsin $72,550
Wyoming $84,720

What Tools & Technology do Farm and Ranch Managers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Farm and Ranch Managers:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Email software
  • SAP
  • Global positioning system GPS software
  • Payroll software
  • Geographic resources analysis support system GRASS
  • MapInfo
  • ESRI ArcPad
  • John Deere Apex Farm Management
  • Ag Leader Technology SMS Advanced
  • Midwest MicroSystems Cow Sense
  • CDA International Manifold System
  • SST Development Group SSToolbox
  • Cattlesoft CattleMax
  • Global Mapper Software Global Mapper

How to Become a Farm or Ranch Manager

Education needed to be a Farm or Ranch Manager:

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What work experience do I need to become a Farm or Ranch Manager?

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Farm and Ranch Managers Sector

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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References:

Image Credit: Billy Hathorn via Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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