First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers

People in this role spend their days organizing, planning, and prioritizing work for outdoor and agricultural teams. Daily activities include communicating with supervisors and subordinates, coordinating staff activities, and monitoring processes or surroundings. Supervisors inspect equipment and structures, operate vehicles or mechanized devices, and solve problems on-site.

Success in this field requires strong leadership, dependability, and cooperation. Key skills include coordination, critical thinking, personnel management, and active listening. Supervisors must have a solid grasp of administration, production processing, food production, biology, and public safety to keep operations running smoothly and safely.

To enter this career, workers typically need at least a high school diploma. The role requires medium preparation, which often involves vocational training, an associate degree, or related work experience. Useful college majors include agricultural business and management, agricultural production operations, animal sciences, plant sciences, forestry, food science and technology, and applied horticulture.

Some states list a license for this work. Professionals can also earn voluntary certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Examples include the Associate Professional Horticulturist, Certified Agricultural Irrigation Specialist, Certified Crop Advisor, Certified Irrigation Contractor, Certified Professional Agronomist, and the Certified Supervisor Certification.

According to 2025 data, the median annual pay for these supervisors is $59,320. The lowest 10% of earners make less than $38,990, while the highest 10% earn more than $91,770. There are 27,960 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 3.8%, which is as fast as average. This growth, combined with normal turnover, is expected to result in 7,200 job openings each year.