Also called: Agricultural Manager, Farm Operations Manager, Ranch Foreman
Runs a large farm or ranch for an owner or company, deciding what to plant, when to harvest, how to spend money, and who does what.
You're up before sunrise checking weather apps and commodity prices, then driving the pickup across thousands of acres to check on crews. Mid-morning you're on the phone haggling with a seed dealer; after lunch you're fixing a scheduling mess because a combine broke down. Evenings are spreadsheets: yields, payroll, fuel costs.
Hired managers of large corporate operations often earn well over $120k; pay swings with crop prices.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Often a bachelor's in agricultural business or agronomy plus 5+ years of farm experience; some rise from ranch hand with no degree.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training, 2-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Agricultural Business, Agronomy, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics.
Shrinking (about -1% over 10 years). Farms keep consolidating into fewer, bigger operations, but each needs a skilled manager.
Low risk for 10 years. AI maps yields, forecasts prices and runs payroll; leading crews, judging fields and making big risky calls stay human.
Classes: Agriculture CTE class, Algebra II, Accounting or business class, Biology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9013.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.