How to become a farmworker, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, milking, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep and collect eggs in hatcheries.

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals do

• Clean stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, water hoses, or pumps.
• Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
• Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.
• Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.
• Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.
• Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences.

Skills that matter most

• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Active Listening
• Reading Comprehension
• Speaking
• Active Learning
• Writing
• Mathematics

Is farmworker, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 28% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• Alaska $50,450
• West Virginia $48,460
• Hawaii $47,050
• Minnesota $46,020
• Washington $45,370

Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.