How much does a farmer make?
a year · about $43 an hour
A typical farmer in the United States makes $89,900 a year, about $43 an hour, about 1.8× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A farmer checks crops, soil, fences, or animals outdoors, then fixes equipment and records costs or sales. In planting or harvest season, work can run from sunrise to sunset; managers may plan budgets and supervise crews.
Did you know? In the U.S., fewer than 4% of farms are large-scale family farms, yet they produce 51% of the value of all agricultural products.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $54,320 and $160,020How do you become one?
In the U.S., finish high school, then work on a farm for several years; agriculture or business study can help. Optional certification may require a degree, experience, coursework, and an exam; BLS names no usual starting age.
School needed: Usually a bachelor's degree
Good for people who like leading and selling and building and doing
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., farm income changes with weather and crop or livestock prices, and pay also differs by location, farm size, and whether someone owns a farm or manages one for an employer. Experience, the type of farm, optional management certification, and long seasonal hours can also affect earnings.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Nebraska ($111,460), lowest in West Virginia ($62,740).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Kids' questions
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $54,320 | $89,900 | $160,020 | about 7,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $111,460 | about 200 |
| Montana | $110,250 | about 30 |
| California | $109,140 | about 2,000 |
| Washington | $103,240 | about 140 |
| Kansas | $102,490 | about 40 |
Official definition: Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. May hire, train, and supervise farm workers or contract for services to carry out the day-to-day activities of the managed operation. May engage in or supervise planting, cultivating, harvesting, and financial and marketing activities. Excludes “First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers” (45-1011).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/OOH/management/farmers-ranchers-and-other-agricultural-managers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-9013.00
- www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/archive/2025/08-19-2025.php
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY