Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Career, Salary and Skills
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $36,670 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 32,810. Wage data is published for 175 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
45-2093.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
Some College Courses
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$36,670
Hourly median
$17.63
Employment
32,810
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Operation and Control | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Coordination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.00 | 2.25 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
Technology
- BCL Landview Systems WinCrop
- Farm Works Software Trac
- Lancaster DHIA PCDART
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
- Valley Agricultural Software DairyCOMP 305
- Web browser software
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in TXMedian $33,920 · Employment 3,750
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in CAMedian $38,640 · Employment 3,600
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in KSMedian $37,060 · Employment 1,340
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in PAMedian $35,360 · Employment 1,330
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in MOMedian $32,950 · Employment 1,310
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in ALMedian $36,620 · Employment 1,300
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in COMedian $39,740 · Employment 1,270
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in IAMedian $36,480 · Employment 1,240
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in OHMedian $31,200 · Employment 1,160
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in WAMedian $45,370 · Employment 1,100
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in WIMedian $32,970 · Employment 930
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in NCMedian $38,750 · Employment 910
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- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm ProductsNational median not published
- Machine Feeders and OffbearersNational median $41,220
- Fishing and Hunting WorkersNational median not published
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.