Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
SOC 45-2093BLS OEWS May 2025
Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, milking, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep and collect eggs in hatcheries.
National median · BLS
$36,670
▲ +1.44%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$39,260
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
32,810
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$27,360
25th
$31,020
Median (50th)
$36,670
75th
$45,700
90th — top pay
$54,080
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
BLS projects employment of farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals to decline 3.2% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 26,600 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
202,100 → 195,700
-6,400 jobs
Projected change
-3.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
26,600
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
2.8% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Critical Thinking3.4
Monitoring3.3
Active Listening3.1
Judgment and Decision Making3.1
Operation and Control3.1
Operations Monitoring3.1
Complex Problem Solving3.0
Coordination3.0
Reading Comprehension3.0
Speaking3.0
Top knowledge areas
Production and Processing3.2
Biology3.2
Administration and Management3.1
English Language3.1
Mechanical3.1
Food Production3.0
Mathematics3.0
Public Safety and Security3.0
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WordBCL Landview Systems WinCropFarm Works Software TracLancaster DHIA PCDARTValley Agricultural Software DairyCOMP 305Web browser software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals do
Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.
Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.
Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.
Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.
Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.
Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $36,670.
