Agriculture, Food & Environment

Farmer/Rancher

Grow crops or raise animals, making daily choices about planting, feeding, weather, and selling

Open interactive guide

What does a Farmer/Rancher do?

Farmers and ranchers work on land they own or rent, growing grain, vegetables, and fruit or raising cattle, hogs, and chickens. The work follows the seasons and the weather. BLS projects employment to decline 1.3% from 2024 to 2034. It suits self-starters who like machines, animals, and business math.

A day in the life

5:30 AMFeed animals, check water, and look for sick or hurt ones
7:30 AMFuel the tractor and head to the field to plant, spray, or cut hay
11:00 AMFix a broken fence or worn machine part before it costs more
1:00 PMWalk crop rows checking for weeds, bugs, and dry soil
4:00 PMCall buyers, order feed or seed, and update the farm records
7:00 PMFinish evening chores and check tomorrow's forecast

What's great

  • Be your own boss on your own land
  • Work outside with plants and animals
  • Grow the food other people eat
  • Every season brings different work

The hard parts

  • Income swings with weather and crop prices
  • Very long days at planting and harvest
  • Land, machines, and loans cost a lot to start
  • Animals need care every day, even holidays

What is a Farmer/Rancher's salary and outlook?

$36k – $90k
Salary Range
Varies widely
Typical Education
Declining

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $36,000 to $90,000 a year, with a midpoint around $60,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Declining.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (SOC 11-9013) to decline 1.3% from 2024 to 2034. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections.

How do you become a Farmer/Rancher?

A common path is No set path: farm experience, often with ag classes or a college degree. The ladder often runs from Farmhand (Farm Worker) to Farm Foreman or Herd Manager, then Owner-Operator, and Owner of a Large Multi-Farm Business. Other routes: Take over the family farm step by step; Two-year agriculture degree at a community college; Work as a farmhand, then rent land to start small; Beginning farmer programs from state extension offices.

  • Take over the family farm step by step
  • Two-year agriculture degree at a community college
  • Work as a farmhand, then rent land to start small
  • Beginning farmer programs from state extension offices

Career path

Entry level
Farmhand (Farm Worker)
Mid career
Farm Foreman or Herd Manager
Senior
Owner-Operator
Executive
Owner of a Large Multi-Farm Business

Will AI replace a Farmer/Rancher?

How much will AI change this job?

Quite a bit

AI will help with some tasks in this job, while the most important parts stay human.

Farming stays hands-on, but smart tools help with planning and data.

Farmers and ranchers will use AI to track weather, soil, and animal health more easily. Computers can help spot problems early and plan crops or herds better. But the real work of caring for land, animals, and equipment still needs a human touch.

AI can help with

  • Predicting weather patterns and best planting times
  • Tracking animal health and growth with sensors
  • Analyzing soil data to choose fertilizers or crops

What stays human

  • Physically caring for animals and crops daily
  • Making quick decisions during emergencies like storms or illness
  • Building relationships with buyers, workers, and local communities

Skills to build now

  • Join 4-H, FFA, or a school gardening club
  • Practice basic math and science for tracking growth and weather
  • Learn to use spreadsheets or simple farm apps

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.