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What is a dairy farmer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
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There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a dairy farmer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.4 an hour? That's $29,959 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 6,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreDairy FarmerUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $29,959

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.6

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.09%

Asian 1.71%

Black or African American 3.51%

Hispanic or Latino 20.50%

Unknown 2.98%

White 70.22%

Gender

female 33.02%

male 66.98%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Dairy farmer career paths

Key steps to become a dairy farmer

  1. Explore dairy farmer education requirements

    Most common dairy farmer degrees

    Bachelor's

    39.3 %

    High School Diploma

    26.7 %

    Associate

    19.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific dairy farmer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Milking31.60%
    Dairy Farm11.66%
    Dairy Cattle10.53%
    Farm Machinery9.68%
    Milk Cows8.38%
  3. Complete relevant dairy farmer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New dairy farmers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a dairy farmer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real dairy farmer resumes.
  4. Research dairy farmer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage regular routines of dairy calf sector, developing skill in feeding, housing, sanitation, parasite and disease control.
    • Hoof trimming responsibilities include all dry cow maintenance trims, treating lame cows and diagnosing hoof health issues.
    • Demonstrate milking process and equipment operation to all workers.
    • Milk goats, set up pipes for pasteurizer, clean pipes, rake barn, feed goats
  5. Prepare your dairy farmer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your dairy farmer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a dairy farmer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable dairy farmer resume templates

    Build a professional dairy farmer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your dairy farmer resume.
    Dairy Farmer Resume
    Dairy Farmer Resume
    Dairy Farmer Resume
    Dairy Farmer Resume
    Dairy Farmer Resume
    Dairy Farmer Resume
    Dairy Farmer Resume
    Dairy Farmer Resume
    Dairy Farmer Resume
  6. Apply for dairy farmer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a dairy farmer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first dairy farmer job

Zippi

Are you a dairy farmer?

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Average dairy farmer salary

The average dairy farmer salary in the United States is $29,959 per year or $14 per hour. Dairy farmer salaries range between $13,000 and $68,000 per year.

Average dairy farmer salary
$29,959 Yearly
$14.40 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do dairy farmers rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

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3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Dairy farmer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2024
Cons

Working 80-100 hrs. every week and no vacation or time off.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Cons

There’s nothing I dont like about farmers because they are so close to nature and loves nature more than others and are so grateful for that


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Cons

I love doing every thing that is good for my self and the organization as a whole. I don't like to cheat when my boss is not around and i don't like doing unethical thing that will have a negative impact on my life and organisation as a whole too.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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