RecruitLocalPros

Hiring Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

Employers across the 23 metro areas we publish data for pay farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers a median of $57,320 to $125,070 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A search through RecruitLocalPros runs Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340, set by seniority, never by location or salary. Our vetted recruiting partner handles sourcing, screening and placement end to end.

What do farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers do?

  • 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.

Core tasks, O*NET OnLine, 11-9013.00.

What does it take to become one?

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

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.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

O*NET Job Zone 4, SVP (7.0 to < 8.0). O*NET OnLine.

Employers commonly list experience with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, Atlassian Confluence for this role.

What do farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers get paid?

BLS OEWS, May 2025 publishes a wage for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers in 23 of the metro areas we publish data for. The median ranges from $57,320 to $125,070 a year depending on the metro, with a midpoint of $97,880. This is what employers pay, place of work, not a single national figure and not what any one person takes home.

BLS OEWS, BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 11-9013.

What does hiring one cost?

The same as any role: tier, not location or salary, sets the fee. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest median any metro we publish data for pays farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers is $125,070 a year, place of work (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $25,014 to $37,521 on the first year salary alone, 20 to 30%.

Frequently asked

How fast can an agricultural manager search fill?
Typically 23 to 35 days, and typically 2 to 3x faster than a contingency search, per our recruiting partner's published figures. Both are typical rather than guaranteed.
What if the hire does not work out?
A 45-day replacement guarantee, at 50% off a repeat search for the same role.

Price an agricultural manager search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen, with the contingency comparison if you are paying one now.

Other management roles

All roles we run searches for · Pay by city instead

Where we run farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers searches

The fee does not move with the city. The wage band does, so each page prices the role against what that metro actually pays.