Also called: Hay Dealer, Forage Broker
Buys hay from farmers and arranges trucks to deliver it to dairies, horse barns and feedlots, often hundreds of miles away.
A dairy in Arizona needs 20 truckloads of high-protein alfalfa, so you call growers in Utah to find hay with the right test results. You negotiate price per ton, book trucks and check bales when they're loaded. Then a horse stable calls wanting small bales by Friday.
Mostly commission or margin per ton; income varies year to year.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. No degree required; most learn from farming or trucking.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Agricultural Business, Animal Science.
Growing about average. Droughts and dairy growth keep hay moving between states.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Online marketplaces help match buyers and sellers, but judging hay and trusting partners stays human.
Classes: Business, Ag science, Math.
Official data: O*NET occupation 41-4012.
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.