Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Also called: Agricultural Worker, Animal Care Taker, Animal Feeder, Animal Herder, Animal Husbandry Worker, Animal Keeper, Aquaculture Worker, Aquatic Laborer
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.
What farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals do
Typical tasks
- Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
- Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
- Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.
- Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.
- Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.
- 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.
- Move equipment, poultry, or livestock from one location to another, manually or using trucks or carts.
- Clean stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, water hoses, or pumps.
- Mix feed, additives, and medicines in prescribed portions.
- Shift animals between grazing areas to ensure that they have sufficient access to food.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salary
The median annual wage for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals is $36,670 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $27,360 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $54,080. The mean annual wage is $39,260.
The mean hourly wage of $18.00 is 2.5× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $36,670 → in 3 years $39,900 → in 5 years $42,200 → in 10 years $48,600 (10-year range $41,800–$56,500). The model assumes pay growth of +2.9% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals United States | 酪農従事者 Japan | 水産養殖従事者 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $36,670 | ¥3.61M ≈ $22,941 | ¥3.61M ≈ $22,941 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $48,600 | ¥4.70M | ¥4.50M |
| Outlook score | 47 | 50 | 45 |
| AI replacement risk | 20% Very low | 21% Low | 15% Very low |
| Workers | 33K | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.