Trades
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, & Aquacultural Animals

Farm Worker

Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, & Aquacultural Animals
Farm Worker
Old Macdonald had a farm, you can too. Managing a farm is hard yet rewarding work
Why Should You Consider This Career?

Work outdoors, Learn a field vital to the entire country, Explore opportunities to one day run your own farm!

TYPICAL SALARY
$80k
That's $3,300 per bi-weekly paycheck
CAREER OUTLOOK
Growing
That's 2000 new jobs in Utah per year (30% growth)
Less Physical                                         More Physical
—————|————
Less Training                                          More Training
—————|————
More Structure                                     Less Structure
—————|————
ALTERNATIVE JOB TITLES:
Cowboy, Farm Hand, Farrowing Worker, Herdsman, Livestock Handler, Milking Worker, Ranch Hand, Rancher, Vaccinator, Wrangler

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.

At A Glance in US
2028 JOB GROWTH
Wage loader
398,000 (35%)
SALARY RANGE
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AVG. JOBS / YEAR
398,000 (35%)
TIME TO JOURNEYMAN
398,000 (35%)
ALTERNATIVE JOB TITLES:
Cowboy, Farm Hand, Farrowing Worker, Herdsman, Livestock Handler, Milking Worker, Ranch Hand, Rancher, Vaccinator, Wrangler
A Typical Day Icon

Your Typical Day:

  • 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.
wage icon

Wages in the US:

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$
22.2
Per Hour Base Income
$TBD
Total Compensation
Your Responsibilities Icon

Your Responsibilities

  • Care for animals.
  • Examine animals to detect illness, injury or other problems.
  • Treat animal injuries or illnesses.
  • Prepare materials or solutions for animal or plant use.
  • Mark agricultural or forestry products for identification.
  • Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
  • Perform animal breeding procedures.
  • Operate farming equipment.
  • Classify organisms based on their characteristics or behavior.
  • Maintain forestry, hunting, or agricultural equipment.
Your Knowledge Icon

Knowledge You Will Learn

  • Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. 55/100

  • Administration and Management

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. 54/100

  • Biology

Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. 54/100

  • English Language

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. 54/100

  • Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. 53/100

  • Food Production

Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques. 51/100

  • Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. 50/100

  • Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. 49/100

  • Transportation

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits. 45/100

  • Economics and Accounting

Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data. 44/100

Tools of the Trade Icon

Tools of the Trade

  • Animal husbandry equipment
  • Veterinary injection or suction unit
  • Egg inspection or collecting equipment
  • Hand sprayers
  • Veterinary nail trimmers or cutters
  • Animal shearing or clipping equipment
  • Snowplow attachments
  • Saddles
  • Bridles
  • Agricultural tractors
  • Respirators
  • Nebulizers
  • Notebook computers
  • Livestock trailers
  • Incubators or brooders for poultry
  • Post hole digger
  • Veterinary castration instruments
  • Hand trucks or accessories
  • Feed mixers
  • Conveyor screw
  • Fog or mist generators
  • Livestock identification equipment
  • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
  • Animal weighing scales
  • Blood collection syringes
  • Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
  • Animal watering machines
  • Claw hammer
  • Milking machines
  • Grease guns
  • Power drills
  • Shovels
  • Desktop computers
  • Backhoes
  • Power saws
  • Skid steer loaders
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