Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
Occupation code: 11-9013（SOC） Not a skilled migration occupation Overall 5.6/10
Plan, direct, or coordinate management or operations of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquaculture, nurseries, etc., may engage in or supervise planting, raising, harvesting, and financial and marketing activities.
Ratings · Overall 5.6/10i
In the AI era: what happens to Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
AI will deeply reshape farm managers' daily work: repetitive tasks like data monitoring and report generation are automated, but complex decision-making, personnel management, and emergency handling rely more on human experience. Entry-level roles narrow, but senior managers can leverage AI to manage larger farms, increasing their value.
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Replaces some field inspections, crop monitoring, equipment scheduling, and basic data analysis tasks of farm managers, making management decisions more precise and efficient.
- Cainthus Product Partial 2017
Replaces farm managers' continuous health monitoring, behavior analysis, and individual identification of livestock on pastures, especially suitable for large farms.
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Replaces farm managers' manual management and labor scheduling in fruit picking, particularly addressing seasonal labor shortages.
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Replaces farm managers in some planting planning, farming decisions, data recording, and analysis, enabling precision agriculture.
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Replaces farm managers' daily repetitive labor in small farms or greenhouses, such as seeding, irrigation, and weeding, reducing human intervention.
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Largely replaces farm managers' manual operations, scheduling, and health monitoring during milking, making milking fully automated.
- Automated collection and report generation of crop growth data
- Irrigation and fertilisation scheduling based on sensors and satellite imagery
- Basic financial records and inventory management
- Path planning for automated farm machinery (e.g., autonomous tractors)
- Automatic tracking and alerts for weather forecasts and market prices
- Use AI to analyse soil, meteorological, and historical data to optimise crop rotation and planting decisions
- Using drones and computer vision to quickly detect pests and diseases and apply precise treatments
- Financial forecasting for farm expansion or transition using AI simulation tools
- Using intelligent scheduling systems to optimize labor, equipment, and transportation arrangements
- Automatically generate compliance reports and subsidy applications through natural language processing.
- Dynamic response capabilities for handling sudden natural disasters (e.g., drought, floods, fires)
- Managing interpersonal relationships in coordinating cross-cultural temporary labor (e.g., backpackers, migrants)
- Subtle judgments based on local experience and intuition (e.g., irrigation timing adjustments)
- Build long-term trust with supply chain partners
- On-site oversight of animal welfare and ethical standards
- Data analysis and visualization (Python/R, Power BI)
- Drone operation and image interpretation
- Precision agriculture software (e.g., Climate FieldView)
- Basic programming (automation scripts, API integration)
- Project management and digital transformation management
- Agricultural economics and risk assessment
Automated irrigation, drone patrols, smart machinery reduce entry-level data recording and field inspection roles; newcomers need faster tech learning, traditional apprenticeship path is compressed. But many physical jobs (e.g., orchard picking) remain unaffected by AI.
Junior managers should quickly master precision agriculture tools, upgrading from data entry to 'tech farmer.' Future path: start with IoT and drones, then deepen data analysis, ultimately transitioning to regional agricultural technology consultant or digital operations manager of large farms. Use AI to expand management scale rather than fight automation.
Salary
| Experience | Annual (USD) | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (0–3 years) | $40,000 ~ $60,000 | Small farm or assistant manager |
| Intermediate (3-10 years) | $60,000 ~ $90,000 | Medium-sized farm manager |
| Senior (10+ years) | $90,000 ~ $130,000 | Manager of large farm or agricultural enterprise |
Education Path
| Stage | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| High school diploma | None | $0~$0 |
| Associate degree in agriculture or a related field | 2 years | $10,000~$30,000 |
| Bachelor's degree in agricultural science or business management | 4 years | $40,000~$120,000 |
Qualifications
| Qualification | Issuer | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree in agriculture | University | Optional |
| Pesticide Application License | State government | Optional |
| Commercial Driver's License (CDL) | State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) | Optional |
Migration
Not a skilled migration occupation. Visa pathways depend on matching the specific duties to the right petition category; refer to the latest USCIS rules and the relevant category.
Who it fits
- Experience in farm management or agricultural background
- Willing to do outdoor physical work
- Entrepreneurial spirit, able to bear financial risks
- Prefer indoor office work.
- Dislike seasonal work pressure
Career outlook
Usually start as a farm worker or farm supervisor, gain experience, and advance to farm manager or run your own farm. Large farms may lead to regional manager or agribusiness executive roles; further education (e.g., a degree in agricultural management) can accelerate advancement.
Projected slow employment growth of about 1% from 2023-2033 (average 2%), with about 8,200 annual openings mainly from retirement or turnover. Technological advances and large farm consolidation may reduce management roles, but organic and local food trends create opportunities.
Growth areas：
Slow growthLarge farm consolidationOrganic farmingTechnology adoption
FAQ
Data sources
Salary ranges are estimates aggregated from public listings on Indeed, Glassdoor, ERI SalaryExpert and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS); employment and demand outlook cite the BLS Occupational Outlook and O*NET; visa and migration details follow the latest USCIS work-visa (H-1B / O-1 / L-1) and employment-based green-card (EB-2 / EB-3, incl. DOL PERM labor certification) rules. Figures are indicative only — always refer to the latest official sources.