What Does it Take to Be 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.
Life As a Farm or Ranch Manager
- Direct livestock or crop waste recycling operations.
- Monitor pasture or grazing land use to ensure that livestock are properly fed or that conservation methods, such as rotational grazing, are used.
- Hire, train, or supervise workers engaged in planting, cultivating, irrigating, harvesting, or marketing crops, or in raising livestock.
- Maintain financial, operational, production, or employment records for farms or ranches.
- Analyze soil to determine types or quantities of fertilizer required for maximum crop production.
- Determine types or quantities of crops or livestock to be raised, according to factors such as market conditions, federal programs or incentives, or soil conditions.
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Farm or Ranch Manager Required Skills
When polled, Farm and Ranch Managers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Other Farm or Ranch Manager Job Titles
- Poultryman
- Agriculture Manager
- Animal Husbandry Manager
- Apiarist
- Poultry Hatchery Manager
Are There Job Opportunities for Farm and Ranch Managers?
There were about 1,028,700 jobs for Farm or Ranch Manager in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Farm or Ranch Manager. There will be an estimated 74,300 positions for Farm or Ranch Manager per year.

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

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 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Farm and Ranch Managers
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 do I Become a Farm or Ranch Manager?
Education needed to be a Farm or Ranch Manager:

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

Where Farm and Ranch Managers Are Employed

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

References:
Image Credit: Billy Hathorn via Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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