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Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$36150	31200	-5.0%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$36150

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

31200

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

-5.0%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
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.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Some College Courses

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

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

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

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.
Protect herds from predators, using trained dogs.
Order food for animals, and arrange for its delivery.
Perform duties related to livestock reproduction, such as breeding animals within appropriate timeframes, performing artificial inseminations, and helping with animal births.
Patrol grazing lands on horseback or using all-terrain vehicles.
Maintain growth, feeding, production, and cost records.
Groom, clip, trim, or castrate animals, dock ears and tails, or shear coats to collect hair.
Spray livestock with disinfectants and insecticides, or dip or bathe animals.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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