How To Become A Farm Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a farm operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Farm operators use strong management skills to run complex agricultural businesses, including overseeing tasks ranging from planting corn to birthing calves. They manage all parts of crop production, including using market conditions, disease, and soil to decide how to raise crops.

When you work as a farm operator, it's your job to oversee the daily activities of a single farm, multiple farms, or other types of agricultural operation. With large farms, you aren't likely to spend time performing the hands-on tasks of farming. Instead, you manage the business aspects of running a farm.

On small or independent farms, you may perform all of the tasks noted and work in the fields or with the livestock. This requires long hours on crop-based farms, particularly during planting and harvesting times.

Typically, farm operators earn a median annual salary of $67,950 as of 2018; this figure also includes data for the ranch and other agricultural operators.

ScoreFarm OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.4

Avg. Salary $30,339

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.17%

Asian 1.81%

Black or African American 4.32%

Hispanic or Latino 22.42%

Unknown 3.06%

White 67.23%

Gender

female 13.54%

male 86.46%

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

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a farm operator

Explore farm operator education requirements

Most common farm operator degrees

Bachelor's

48.6 %

Associate

21.1 %

High School Diploma

19.5 %

Start to develop specific farm operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Log Entries	27.06%
Storage Tanks	21.74%
CDL	13.04%
Harvest	10.54%
Diesel Fuel	6.92%

Complete relevant farm operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New farm operators 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 farm operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real farm operator resumes.

Research farm operator duties and responsibilities

Manage all financial and payroll each week.
Lead farm tours and help organize CSA member events.
Manage daily health care and feed rations for livestock (sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens).
Conduct routine maintenance and emergency repair of harvesters.

Prepare your farm operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your farm operator 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 farm operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable farm operator resume templates

Build a professional farm operator 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 farm operator resume.