Curious about our data? Learn more about our methodology .
College Majors
- Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
What Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Do
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers operate establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products.
Work Environment
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers held about 929,800 jobs in 2014. About 7 in 10 were self-employed.
How to Become a Farmer, Rancher, or Other Agricultural Manager
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers usually have at least a high school diploma and typically gain skills through work experience.
Job Outlook
Employment of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers is projected to decline 2 percent from 2014 to 2024. The continuing ability of the agricultural sector to produce more with fewer workers will result in less demand for farmers and ranchers.
Job Trends for Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
This occupation supported 930,600 jobs in 2012 and 929,800 jobs in 2014, reflecting a decline of 0.1%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to decrease by 19.3% in 2022 to 750,700 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 894,600, compared with an observed value of 929,800, 3.9% higher than expected. This indicates current employment trends are better than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to decrease by 1.9% in 2024 to 911,700 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 714,700 jobs for 2024, 21.6% lower than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are much better than the 2012 trend within this occupation.
