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Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers is the O*NET name for people who plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. The skills rated most useful are critical thinking, active listening, and reading comprehension. You may also need to collect and record growth, production, and environmental data. On the six-type interest model it reads ERC, meaning leading, persuading and making business decisions comes first, followed by hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. Getting in usually takes a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience, a level O*NET calls considerable preparation. If you want leading, persuading and making business decisions, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.

What they do

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.

Main 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.

Skills

  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Speaking
  • Management of Personnel Resources
  • Complex Problem Solving

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
  • You are comfortable relying on critical thinking and active listening.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.1 out of 7 here.
  • You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ERC takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.

Also called

  • Aquaculture Director
  • Farm Manager
  • Farm Operations Technical Director
  • Fish Hatchery Manager
  • Greenhouse Manager

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.