Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
Overview
SaveJob Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
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.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $130K |
| Median: | $68K |
| Low: | $35K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- 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.
- Position and regulate plant irrigation systems, and program environmental and irrigation control computers.
- Prepare reports required by state and federal laws.
- Inspect facilities and equipment for signs of disrepair, and perform necessary maintenance work.
- Maintain financial, operational, production, or employment records for farms or ranches.
- Coordinate clerical, record-keeping, inventory, requisitioning, and marketing activities.
- Direct the breeding or raising of stock, such as cattle, poultry, or honeybees, using recognized breeding practices to ensure stock improvement.
- Negotiate with buyers for the sale, storage, or shipment of crops or livestock.
- Analyze soil to determine types or quantities of fertilizer required for maximum crop production.
- Coordinate the selection and maintenance of brood stock.
- Provide information to customers on the care of trees, shrubs, flowers, plants, and lawns.
- Analyze market conditions to determine acreage allocations.
- Replace chemical insecticides with environmentally friendly practices, such as adding pest-repelling plants to fields.
- Supervise the construction of farm or ranch structures, such as buildings, fences, drainage systems, wells, or roads.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Administration and Management
83%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Production and Processing
78%
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Biology
77%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Mathematics
73%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language
68%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Food Production
68%
Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Personnel and Human Resources
68%
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Economics and Accounting
66%
Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Sales and Marketing
66%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Customer and Personal Service
65%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
78%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
75%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Complex Problem Solving
73%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Management of Personnel Resources
73%
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Speaking
73%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination
70%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making
70%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning
68%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Monitoring
68%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Top 10 Abilities
Deductive Reasoning
78%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
78%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension
78%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
78%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity
78%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Category Flexibility
75%
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Speech Clarity
75%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension
75%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Information Ordering
73%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech Recognition
73%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Top 10 Work Activities
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
89%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
85%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
82%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Scheduling Work and Activities
79%
Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Getting Information
78%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Thinking Creatively
78%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
77%
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
77%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Monitoring and Controlling Resources
77%
Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
76%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Detailed Work Activities
- Compile operational data.
- Maintain operational records.
- Manage agricultural or forestry operations.
- Analyze financial records to improve budgeting or planning.
- Determine resource needs.
- Develop emergency response plans or procedures.
- Develop agricultural methods.
- Perform manual agricultural, aquacultural, or horticultural tasks.
- Prepare reports related to compliance matters.
- Maintain regulatory or compliance documentation.
- Inspect condition or functioning of facilities or equipment.
- Perform manual service or maintenance tasks.
- Maintain personnel records.
- Direct sales, marketing, or customer service activities.
- Direct administrative or support services.
- Direct organizational operations, projects, or services.
- Negotiate sales or lease agreements for products or services.
- Negotiate contracts for transportation, distribution, or logistics services.
- Test materials, solutions, or samples.
- Advise customers on technical or procedural issues.
- Analyze data to inform operational decisions or activities.
- Manage construction activities.
- Evaluate quality of plants or crops.
- Examine animals to detect illness, injury or other problems.
- Direct activities of agricultural, forestry, or fishery employees.
- Estimate labor or resource requirements for forestry, fishing, or agricultural operations.
- Develop organizational policies or programs.
- Develop marketing plans or strategies.
- Conduct employee training programs.
- Supervise employees.
- Hire personnel.
- Monitor organizational compliance with regulations.
- Monitor operational quality or safety.
- Submit financial applications.
- Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
Interests
Enterprising
80%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Realistic
74%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Conventional
65%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Investigative
40%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Social
38%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Artistic
15%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Independence
75%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement
70%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
64%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
46%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Majors
Colleges
SAGE Scholars Member Schools that offer majors leading to this career.
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