SOC 45-2093.00

    Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

    Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees.

    Median pay
    $36,670
    Growth
    -3.2%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    26,600
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $27,360
    Median
    $36,670
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $54,080
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    32,810 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Farmworkers in this field care for live farm, ranch, or aquacultural animals raised for food and other products. The median annual pay for these workers is $36,670, with opportunities available across the country.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, milking, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep and collect eggs in hatcheries.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career spend their days caring for animals such as cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, finfish, and bees. Daily tasks involve feeding, watering, herding, and milking animals, as well as assisting with births and administering medications or vaccinations. Workers must monitor animal health to detect diseases, clean housing areas, and keep detailed records.

    This role is highly realistic and physical, requiring workers to handle objects, operate vehicles, and use mechanized equipment. Success in this job requires skills like critical thinking, active listening, and operations monitoring. Workers rely on their knowledge of biology, food production, and public safety. Important work styles include dependability, stress tolerance, perseverance, and cautiousness when handling livestock and equipment.

    How to get there

    Entering this field typically does not require a formal educational credential, though many workers hold a high school diploma. Most preparation occurs through on-the-job training or previous practical experience.

    Students interested in this pathway can study college majors such as Agricultural Production Operations. Some workers choose to earn credentials like the Certified Agricultural Irrigation Specialist certification from the Irrigation Association. Depending on the location, some states list a license for this work.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these farmworkers is $36,670. The lowest 10 percent of earners make less than $27,360, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $54,080.

    There are 32,810 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to decline by -3.2 percent. Despite this decline, about 26,600 job openings are expected each year to replace workers who leave the field.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    96 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    28 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    7 / 100
    Social (S)
    25 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    15 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    33 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Performing General Physical Activities
    75
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    75
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    74
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    69
    Handling and Moving Objects
    68
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    66
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    65
    Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
    64
    Documenting/Recording Information
    63
    Getting Information
    63
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Active Listening
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Operation and Control
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Coordination
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing
    • Biology
    • Administration and Management
    • English Language
    • Mechanical
    • Food Production
    • Mathematics
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Transportation
    • Economics and Accounting

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Control Precision
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Near Vision
    • Trunk Strength
    • Far Vision
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Inductive Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Perseverance
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Cautiousness
    • Self-Control
    • Adaptability
    • Initiative
    • Optimism

    Also called

    Agricultural Worker · Animal Care Taker · Animal Feeder · Animal Herder · Animal Husbandry Worker · Animal Keeper · Aquaculture Worker · Aquatic Laborer · Aquatic Life Laborer · Bait Digger

    Career pathway

    From your interests to farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals$36,670 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1North Dakota State University-Main Campus logo
      North Dakota State University-Main Campus

      Fargo, ND · Agricultural Production Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $66,359
      4 yrs after
      $83,779
      Median debt
      $23,246
    2. 2Purdue University-Main Campus logo
      Purdue University-Main Campus

      West Lafayette, IN · Agricultural Production Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $62,437
      4 yrs after
      $71,868
      Median debt
      Not reported
    3. 3Washington State University logo
      Washington State University

      Pullman, WA · Agricultural Production Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $59,003
      4 yrs after
      $69,708
      Median debt
      Not reported
    4. 4
      Mississippi State University

      Mississippi State, MS · Agricultural Production Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $54,023
      4 yrs after
      $69,160
      Median debt
      $20,375
    5. 5Utah State University logo
      Utah State University

      Logan, UT · Agricultural Production Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $61,639
      Median debt
      Not reported
    6. 6University of California-Davis logo
      University of California-Davis

      Davis, CA · Agricultural Production Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $47,880
      4 yrs after
      $58,236
      Median debt
      $10,265
    7. 7Eastern Kentucky University logo
      Eastern Kentucky University

      Richmond, KY · Agricultural Production Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $53,450
      Median debt
      $19,000
    8. 8
      Clemson University

      Clemson, SC · Agricultural Production Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $36,732
      4 yrs after
      $51,582
      Median debt
      $21,500

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Apiculture

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    6 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What kinds of animals do these farmworkers care for?

    Workers attend to a wide variety of ranch, farm, and aquacultural animals. This includes cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees.

    What are some common alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this occupation are also called Agricultural Workers, Animal Care Takers, Animal Feeders, Animal Herders, Aquaculture Workers, and Bait Diggers.

    What education or training is needed to start this job?

    There is no formal credential required to enter this career. Most workers gain the necessary skills through on-the-job training, though many typically hold a high school diploma.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.