# 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. 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/farmworkers-farm-ranch-and-aquacultural-animals
- SOC code: 45-2093.00
- Career family: Farming, fishing and forestry
- Median annual pay: $36,670 (10th percentile $27,360, 90th percentile $54,080)
- Projected growth: Decline, -3.2%
- Openings a year: 26,600
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 96 |
| Investigative (I) | 28 |
| Artistic (A) | 7 |
| Social (S) | 25 |
| Enterprising (E) | 15 |
| Conventional (C) | 33 |

## What you'd do

- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 75/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 75/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 74/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 69/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 68/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 66/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 65/100)
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People (importance 64/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 63/100)
- Getting Information (importance 63/100)

## 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

## 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

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

- [Agricultural Production Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0103) (CIP 0103, 294 colleges)

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

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [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 |
| [Purdue University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/purdue-university-main-campus-2163) | Agricultural Production Operations | $62,437 | $71,868 | not reported |
| [Washington State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/washington-state-university-3171) | Agricultural Production Operations | $59,003 | $69,708 | not reported |
| [Mississippi State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/mississippi-state-university-1732) | Agricultural Production Operations | $54,023 | $69,160 | $20,375 |
| [Utah State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-state-university-3102) | Agricultural Production Operations | not reported | $61,639 | not reported |
| [University of California-Davis](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-davis-2882) | Agricultural Production Operations | $47,880 | $58,236 | $10,265 |
| [Eastern Kentucky University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/eastern-kentucky-university-866) | Agricultural Production Operations | not reported | $53,450 | $19,000 |
| [Clemson University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/clemson-university-572) | Agricultural Production Operations | $36,732 | $51,582 | $21,500 |

## Related careers

- [Animal Breeders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/animal-breeders): $51,130 median pay
- [Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/farmworkers-and-laborers-crop-nursery-and-greenhouse): $35,660 median pay
- [Agricultural Equipment Operators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-equipment-operators): $41,730 median pay
- [Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/meat-poultry-and-fish-cutters-and-trimmers): $38,300 median pay
- [Slaughterers and Meat Packers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/slaughterers-and-meat-packers): $40,130 median pay
- [Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/graders-and-sorters-agricultural-products): $35,730 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.