Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salary by state
What Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animalss do
Typical education: Some College Courses
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.
Top skills:Critical ThinkingMonitoringOperations MonitoringOperation and ControlJudgment and Decision MakingActive Listening
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals pay by experience level
Entry level$28,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$32,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$38,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$47,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$56,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-5%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
31,200
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salary by industry
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry
12,770 workers
$39,000
Support Activities for Animal Production
11,010 workers
$39,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
6,410 workers
$37,500
Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers
5,920 workers
$37,000
Food Manufacturing
2,230 workers
$44,500
Support Activities for Crop Production
1,760 workers
$36,500
Animal Slaughtering and Processing
1,630 workers
$45,500
Administrative and Support Services
1,560 workers
$42,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
1,500 workers
$53,500
Employment Services
1,490 workers
$41,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals pays 20% below the average across 13 roles in the Farming, Fishing, and Forestry job family (family average $50,500).
Similar-paying roles in Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
