Farmers are agricultural professionals who grow crops and take care of animals on farms they often own and maintain themselves. They mostly work with their hands but also use their business skills to find buyers for their farm's products and obtain all necessary supplies for operations. This career can be a good fit if you do not mind physical labor and long hours, find it appealing to run your own farm and produce a mix of crops for sale in the marketplace. Your salary as a farmer depends on factors such as the crops you grow, market conditions and the size of your farm. Choosing self-employment gives you more freedom in choosing what crops or niche to specialize in to have better prospects for your location and target customers.

Job Description

Whether they have their own farms or work on other people's farms, farmers are responsible for ensuring that crops get produced successfully, that any livestock are taken care of and that the farm's equipment, facilities and supplies are maintained properly. Common tasks for farmers include planting and fertilizing crops, buying the supplies the farm needs to operate, repairing farm equipment like tractors, monitoring the soil, herding animals and harvesting the grown crops. Farm owners have additional duties to keep records, plan production and market their farms to clients who want to purchase their crops. Since farming is a labor-intensive job, being physically strong is essential for having the stamina required for long work hours. Having mechanical skills to be able to repair machinery and being a critical thinker who is able to solve problems on the farm are important qualities.

Education Requirements

Farmers with only a high school diploma can find work if they have some farm work experience. An undergraduate degree in agriculture, farm management or a similar field can be helpful. You can also find training programs through the United States Department of Agriculture that teach you how to run a farm and even offer financial assistance programs for aspiring farmers. After completing a training program, you may work as an agricultural worker before having your own farm. If you have the education and work experience needed for taking the exams, you may also seek voluntary certification from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.

According to salary data for farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers from May 2016, the average salary is $75,790 a year. In contrast, they make a median salary of $66,360, with half getting lower salaries and half being paid more. The lower 10 percent of these farm professionals make less than $35,020, and the top 10 percent receive earnings of more than $126,070. The average farmer salary varies depending on how well the crops do and changes in operational costs for farmers.

Industry

Mostly, farmers are self-employed and work on their own farms, although some do work for other farms helping with animals and crops. They spend a lot of time outdoors performing physical labor and operating machinery, although they often also handle planning and marketing for their farms. Having full-time work hours, farmers may have to work around the clock at busy times to care for their crops and animals. The time and labor commitment for farming work makes it important to have someone to help take care of your children as you oversee the farm.

Years of Experience

To increase how much money farmers make, they can increase their production, qualify for government payments they're eligible for, find off-farm income sources or seek managerial positions as farm managers. Their pay also significantly differs from when they just begin working as farmers to when they have been in business for a few decades, as the March 2018 average salary figures show below:

0 to 5 years: $26,000



$26,000 5 to 10 years: $30,000



$30,000 10 to 20 years: $37,000



$37,000 20 or more years: $48,000



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