# Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/farmers-ranchers-and-other-agricultural-managers
- SOC code: 11-9013.00
- Career family: Management
- Median annual pay: $89,900 (10th percentile $54,320, 90th percentile $160,020)
- Projected growth: Decline, -3.4%
- Openings a year: 70,800
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ERC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 69 |
| Investigative (I) | 29 |
| Artistic (A) | 1 |
| Social (S) | 27 |
| Enterprising (E) | 75 |
| Conventional (C) | 59 |

## What you'd do

- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 86/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 81/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 77/100)
- Scheduling Work and Activities (importance 73/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 73/100)
- Getting Information (importance 72/100)
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others (importance 71/100)
- Monitoring and Controlling Resources (importance 71/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 71/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 70/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Management of Personnel Resources, Speaking, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Learning, Monitoring

## Knowledge

Administration and Management, Production and Processing, Biology, Mathematics, English Language, Personnel and Human Resources, Food Production, Economics and Accounting, Sales and Marketing, Mechanical

## Also called

Accredited Farm Manager (AFM), Activation Manager, Agricultural Crop Farm Manager, Agricultural Manager, Agriculture Farmer, Agriculture Manager, Agronomy Manager, Agronomy Operations Manager, Animal Husbandry Manager, Annual Greenhouse Manager

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Agricultural Business and Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0101) (CIP 0101, 394 colleges)
- [Agricultural Production Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0103) (CIP 0103, 294 colleges)
- [Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0106) (CIP 0106, 283 colleges)
- [Food Science and Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0110) (CIP 0110, 168 colleges)
- [Animal Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0109) (CIP 0109, 167 colleges)
- [Plant Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0111) (CIP 0111, 162 colleges)
- Anthrozoology (CIP 3034, 5 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | Agricultural Business and Management | $101,659 | $145,218 | $13,000 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | Agricultural Business and Management | $62,504 | $88,396 | $14,167 |
| [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign-main-campus-2927) | Agricultural Business and Management | $64,122 | $86,646 | $15,340 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | Food Science and Technology | $57,824 | $85,445 | not reported |
| [North Dakota State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus-1896) | Agricultural Production Operations | $66,359 | $83,779 | $23,246 |
| [University of Missouri-Columbia Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-missouri-columbia-main-campus-2965) | Agricultural Business and Management | $57,745 | $82,831 | $16,375 |
| [Rutgers University-New Brunswick Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rutgers-university-new-brunswick-main-campus-2279) | Food Science and Technology | $58,376 | $80,979 | $18,673 |
| [University of Idaho](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-idaho-2924) | Agricultural Business and Management | $54,297 | $80,690 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Agricultural Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-technicians): $49,630 median pay
- [Agricultural Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-engineers): $98,590 median pay
- [Soil and Plant Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/soil-and-plant-scientists): $78,850 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-farming-fishing-and-forestry-workers): $59,320 median pay
- [Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-sciences-teachers-postsecondary): $98,700 median pay
- [Biofuels Production Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/biofuels-production-managers): $126,060 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.