How to Become a Farmer / Agricultural Manager
Run farms, ranches and greenhouses: crops, livestock, equipment, markets and the money. It typically requires a high school diploma, with a median salary of $89,900 per year and declining projected job growth.
Median pay
$89,900/yr
Middle half
$66,300 to $118,860
Job growth
Declining
Openings / yr
85,500
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Operations
- Agronomy Basics
- Budgeting
- Equipment
Related careers
- Geologist$101,920 median
- Environmental Scientist$82,220 median
- Soil / Plant Scientist$78,850 median
- Forester$76,400 median
- Forest / Conservation Technician$54,560 median
- Agricultural Technician$49,630 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Farmer / Agricultural Manager make?
The median pay for a Farmer / Agricultural Manager is $89,900 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $66,300 and $118,860 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Farmer / Agricultural Manager?
The usual entry point is a high school diploma. Common majors are Agricultural Business, Horticulture and Plant Science, and Animal Science.
Is Farmer / Agricultural Manager a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is declining (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 85,500 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Farmer / Agricultural Manager use most?
Common skills for this role are Operations, Agronomy Basics, Budgeting, and Equipment.
Planning to become a Farmer / Agricultural Manager?
Save this career to your PlanexAI path and track the majors, courses, and milestones that lead to it.
Not sure this is right for you?
Take our free 2-minute quiz to match your interests to majors and careers.
Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).