Pay for a job
The BLS figure is an occupational wage estimate for covered wage-and-salary employment.
Pay · United States · read the scope first
Farmer and farm manager
pay
BLS reports a $89,900 median annual wage for this broad occupation in May 2025. It is not a typical farm owner’s income. Most people in this category are self-employed, while the underlying wage survey excludes the self-employed and most of the agricultural sector.
BLS-reported median wage$89,900May 2025 · occupation-wide benchmark
10th-percentile thresholdBelow $54,32010% of measured wage earners earned less.
90th-percentile thresholdAbove $160,02010% of measured wage earners earned more.
Employee-wage data · shared scale
Three reference points,
not an income ladder.
The 10th and 90th percentile values are thresholds, not minimum and maximum salaries. They do not describe years of experience, farm size or owner profit.
Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers · U.S. · May 2025. Values are BLS wage thresholds; OEWS coverage limitations apply to every point.
Why owner finances are a different question
Sales are not
what the operator keeps.
A farm business may receive money from products and other sources, but has costs and financial obligations before it can calculate a return to the operator. The final result can move with production, input costs, product prices, weather, debt, land arrangements and the farm’s business model. The national wage median does not resolve any of those questions.
Money received
Sales or other receipts come before the operation’s costs and obligations are accounted for.
A business outcome
It varies across farms and years; it should not be inferred from an employee wage median.
What to check where you live
Ask which number
matches the work.
If you are considering an employee role, compare local job postings, pay basis, scheduled hours, benefits, housing or seasonal arrangements, and the exact responsibilities. If you are considering operating a farm, seek current local business, land, production and financial information from qualified sources—not a national occupational wage table.
For U.S. jobs, BLS points readers to state and area data. Outside the U.S., use local labor statistics and relevant agricultural services. Do not convert this U.S. number into a Latvian or European salary.
Follow the question
that matters to you.
Explore this question
Fewer jobs, many openings?
Separate projected net decline from replacement openings and check what the national forecast leaves out.
Read this guide Explore this questionHow people enter the work
Related experience, practical routes, postsecondary options and what to verify before paying for training.
Read this guide Explore this questionWhat the working year asks of you
Seasonal crop cycles, year-round animal care, physical demands, hazards and different operation sizes.
Read this guide Explore this questionWill AI replace farmers?
Distinguish precision tools, active AI research and claims the evidence does not support.
Read this guideSources and scope
The BLS occupation page reports May 2025 OEWS wage estimates. OEWS methodology excludes self-employed workers and most of the agricultural sector; the statistic should not be treated as representative farm-owner income, profit or a local offer.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers ↗
- BLS · May 2025 OEWS survey methods and coverage ↗
Sources checked 28 September 2026. Labor figures and preparation information are U.S.-specific, not estimates for Latvia or other countries. This guide is an editorial resource, not financial, agronomic, safety, or hiring advice.
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