Career Overview
Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. May hire, train, and supervise farm workers or contract for services to carry out the day-to-day activities of the managed operation. May engage in or supervise planting, cultivating, harvesting, and financial and marketing activities.
Also Known As
- Aquaculture Director
- Farm Manager
- Greenhouse Manager
- Ranch Manager
Alternate Job Titles
- Accredited Farm Manager (AFM)
- Activation Manager
- Agricultural Crop Farm Manager
- Agricultural Manager
- Agriculture Farmer
- Agriculture Manager
- Agronomy Manager
- Agronomy Operations Manager
- Animal Husbandry Manager
- Annual Greenhouse Manager
- Aquaculture Cooperative Marketing Director
- Aquaculture Director
- Aquaculture Farm Manager
- Aquaculture Program Director
- Barn and Property Manager
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Collect and record growth, production, and environmental data.
- Manage nurseries that grow horticultural plants for sale to trade or retail customers, for display or exhibition, or for research.
- Direct and monitor trapping and spawning of fish, egg incubation, and fry rearing, applying knowledge of management and fish culturing techniques.
- Direct and monitor the transfer of mature fish to lakes, ponds, streams, or commercial tanks.
- Determine how to allocate resources and to respond to unanticipated problems, such as insect infestation, drought, and fire.
- Determine plant growing conditions, such as greenhouses, hydroponics, or natural settings, and set planting and care schedules.
- Devise and participate in activities to improve fish hatching and growth rates, and to prevent disease in hatcheries.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Administration and Management
- Production and Processing
- Biology
- Mathematics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Management of Personnel Resources
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Oral Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
- Problem Sensitivity
- Written Comprehension
- Category Flexibility
- Speech Clarity
- Information Ordering
- Written Expression
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Leadership Orientation
- Dependability
- Perseverance
- Attention to Detail
- Achievement Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Independence
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Relationships
- Recognition
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Photoshop
- Atlassian Confluence
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Visio
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Adjustable widemouth pliers
- Aeration pumps
- Aerosol foggers
- Air compression equipment
- Animal blood collection syringes
- Animal feeders
- Animal transportation trailers
- Animal vaccination syringes
- Aquaculture tanks
- Artificial insemination kits
- Backhoe attachments
- Backhoes
- Bar code readers
- Belt conveyor systems
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $51,700 |
| Median | $87,980 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $156,530 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 5,910
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Agricultural Technicians
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $46,790
Agricultural Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $84,630
Soil and Plant Scientists
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $71,410
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $59,330
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $86,350
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.