Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $99,820 ≈ $48/hr
National median salary $89,900
Total employment 6,500 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -1.3% Decline
Annual openings 85,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 836,100 → 825,000 (-11,100)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

Mean annual wage $0–$77,000 $77,000–$85,000 $85,000–$93,000 $93,000–$106,000 $106,000–$123,000 U.S. mean $99,820

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. California$122,560
  2. Nebraska$111,970
  3. Florida$111,910
  4. Kansas$109,870
  5. Washington$109,820

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Ohio$70,000
  2. Oklahoma$72,090
  3. Virginia$73,590
  4. West Virginia$73,620
  5. Minnesota$73,720
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 California $122,560 $109,140 $59 +22.8% 1,650
2 Nebraska $111,970 $111,460 $54 +12.2% 200
3 Florida $111,910 $87,080 $54 +12.1% 320
4 Kansas $109,870 $102,490 $53 +10.1% 40
5 Washington $109,820 $103,240 $53 +10% 140
6 North Carolina $108,780 $80,540 $52 +9% 250
7 Illinois $106,410 $99,440 $51 +6.6% 120
8 New Jersey $104,220 $86,380 $50 +4.4%
9 Montana $102,640 $110,250 $49 +2.8% 30
10 Georgia $97,620 $95,900 $47 -2.2% 50
11 Wisconsin $96,880 $86,320 $47 -2.9% 30
12 New York $95,510 $89,370 $46 -4.3% 130
13 Indiana $92,790 $83,100 $45 -7% 90
14 Idaho $92,600 $81,010 $45 -7.2% 250
15 Missouri $89,440 $77,650 $43 -10.4% 60

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 46 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Napa, CA $158,660 $147,880 150
2 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $142,560 $131,650 70
3 Yakima, WA $126,170 $122,050 40
4 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $125,070 $127,500
5 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $123,340 $125,020 130
6 Salinas, CA $122,630 $128,410 90
7 Omaha, NE-IA $120,570 $112,910 40
8 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $111,470 $119,350 60
9 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $110,840 $118,480 50
10 Modesto, CA $109,630 $123,700 60

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing $141,990 $136,820 200
2 Beverage Manufacturing $141,990 $136,820 200
3 Management of Companies and Enterprises $110,670 $123,390 270
4 Management of Companies and Enterprises $110,670 $123,390 270
5 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $110,670 $123,390 270
6 Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) $110,570 $112,240 60
7 Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing $104,990 $122,520 450
8 Animal Slaughtering and Processing $104,850 $116,460 60
9 Support Activities for Crop Production $103,570 $114,250 2,500
10 Food Manufacturing $101,070 $110,110 230
11 Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry $99,640 $107,600 3,040
12 Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) $99,630 $105,440 290

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
452,921
$10-20k
33,618
$20-30k
31,230
$30-40k
37,746
$40-50k
37,463
$50-60k
30,251
$60-70k
21,165
$70-80k
23,027
$80-90k
10,906
$90-100k
8,457
$100-110k
14,369
$110-120k
3,993
$120-130k
5,047
$130-140k
1,976
$140-150k
1,541
$150-160k
7,614
$160-170k
999
$170-180k
2,006
$180-190k
965
$190-200k
1,059
$200k+
13,896

Pay by age band

16-24
$17,192
25-34
$30,681
35-44
$37,901
45-54
$38,790
55-64
$27,492
65+
$17,618

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$23,569
Bachelors Degree
$38,245
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$27,203
Associates Degree
$28,540
Some college, but less than 1 year
$24,687
Masters Degree
$38,304
Grade 8
$17,290
GED or alternative credential
$20,586
No schooling completed
$16,512
12th grade - no diploma
$18,908
Grade 11
$26,532
Grade 6
$34,898
Grade 10
$25,931
Grade 9
$15,673
Doctorate degree
$50,496
Professional degree
$12,776
Grade 7
$27,013
Grade 3
$44,253
Grade 5
$22,816
Grade 4
$39,563
Kindergarten
$13,985
Grade 2
$7,999
Nursery school, preschool
$52,512
Grade 1
$7,239

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
262,677 · $71,064
Part-time
33,866 · $34,398

Race / ethnicity

White
$27,778
Two or More Races
$33,521
Other
$32,783
Asian
$19,372
Black
$23,448
American Indian
$23,868
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$32,465
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$5,860
Alaska Native
$12,742

Top fields of study

General Agriculture
$36,480
Animal Sciences
$41,631
Agriculture Production And Management
$38,880
Plant Science And Agronomy
$57,971
Business Management And Administration
$54,073
General Business
$32,611
General Education
$44,456
Agricultural Economics
$52,088

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Active Listening
3.9
Critical Thinking
3.9
Reading Comprehension
3.8
Speaking
3.6
Complex Problem Solving
3.6
Management of Personnel Resources
3.6
Coordination
3.5
Judgment and Decision Making
3.5
Monitoring
3.4
Time Management
3.4
Active Learning
3.4
Social Perceptiveness
3.4

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers make in the U.S.?

The median farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers salary in the United States is $89,900 per year (mean $99,820), and about 80% earn between $54,320 and $160,020.

How much do farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers make per hour?

Roughly $48 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $99,820 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers the most?

California has the highest average pay for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers at $122,560 per year (median $109,140).

What is the job outlook for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers?

Employment is projected to change -1.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 85,500 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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