Occupation · SOC 45-1011
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of agricultural, forestry, aquacultural, and related workers.
Median wage
$59,330
$39,610–$90,840
Projected growth
+2.5%
Slower than average
Annual openings
160
per year
Employed (US)
29,530
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
686 mapped
Core skills
CoordinationCritical ThinkingSpeakingMonitoringReading ComprehensionManagement of Personnel ResourcesTime ManagementActive Listening
Knowledge areas
Administration and ManagementProduction and ProcessingCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageMechanical
Technology & tools
Project management softwareAccounting softwareData base user interface and query softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareEnterprise resource planning ERP software
Representative tasks
Assign tasks such as feeding and treatment of animals, and cleaning and maintenance of animal quarteRecord the numbers and types of fish or shellfish reared, harvested, released, sold, and shipped.Monitor workers to ensure that safety regulations are followed, warning or disciplining those who vi
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Daily crew assignments — hand out under a senior supervisor's direction on a row-crop or orchard farm.Time and attendance tracking — record accurately for piece-rate or hourly crews.Safety briefings (PPE, heat illness, equipment) — deliver consistently at start-of-shift.Tools, parts, and consumables — issue and account for at a farm or forestry yard.Worker check-ins on quality and pace — conduct during routine field rounds.Incident-report intake — collect from crew members and route to the manager.First-aid and emergency procedures — execute per company protocol on a remote work site.Communication with non-English-speaking crew members — conduct with respect and the company's interpreter resources.Routine equipment walk-arounds — perform with operators before daily use.Daily production logs and field maps — maintain to the operation's standards.
developing
Crew of 8–20 workers — supervise across a single block, parcel, or harvest line.Piece-rate, hourly, and overtime tracking — calculate and explain to crew members.Equipment scheduling and routine PM — coordinate with mechanics on tractors, sprayers, or harvesters.Pesticide-application timing windows — execute per the licensed applicator's plan.H-2A or seasonal-labor compliance basics — apply with HR partners on housing, transport, and pay.Quality-control sampling and packout standards — enforce at packing sheds or on the line.Crew conflict and grievance issues — resolve at the field level with documented follow-up.Recordkeeping (spray logs, harvest yields, mortality) — maintain accurately and completely.Equipment failures and downtime — troubleshoot with operators and dispatch a mechanic when needed.Junior leads and crew chiefs — train on safety, leadership, and recordkeeping.
proficient
Multi-crew operations across an entire farm, ranch, or logging unit — lead through planting, growing, and harvest.Labor planning across a season — hire, schedule, and retain across H-2A, domestic, and contract sources.Equipment fleets and capital budgets — manage at the operating-unit level.Compliance with OSHA, EPA, USDA, and state-ag rules — own with documented programs and audits.Crew safety culture and near-miss programs — establish with measurable reduction in injuries.Production and yield targets — plan and adjust against weather, pests, and market conditions.Direct conversations with owners, agronomists, and processors — lead with operational data.Cost controls (labor, inputs, repairs) — manage against budget at the field-operation level.Junior supervisors and crew bosses — develop on leadership and operational ownership.Continuous-improvement projects (mechanization, harvest aids) — pilot and scale across the operation.
advanced
Farm-, ranch-, or forestry-operation general management — set direction across multiple sites, crops, or stands.Capital plans and major-equipment purchases — author and defend with the owner or board.Multi-state labor and contractor strategy — own with HR, legal, and agency partners.Industry forums (commodity boards, Farm Bureau, processor councils) — represent the operation.Land-use, water-rights, and conservation planning — lead with NRCS, irrigation districts, and counsel.Workforce-development pipelines — build with community colleges and apprenticeship programs.Major contracts (packers, processors, logging buyers) — negotiate at executive level.Succession and family-business planning — facilitate with owners and advisors.Disaster response (fire, flood, drought) — command across crews, equipment, and agencies.Legacy mentorship of the next generation of supervisors — institutionalize across an operation.
Also known as
122 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Agricultural and Forestry SupervisorAgriculture ManagerAgronomy Location ManagerAgronomy ManagerAnimal Care SupervisorAnimal Caretaker SupervisorAnimal Husbandry SupervisorAnimal Maintenance SupervisorAnimal Research Facility SupervisorAnimal Shelter ManagerAquacultural Worker SupervisorArea SupervisorArtificial Breeding Ranch SupervisorBarn BossBarn ManagerBison Herd ManagerBoom BossBoom MasterBroiler SupervisorBrood Hatchery ManagerCamp BossCattle ManagerChristmas Tree Farm Crew BossChristmas Tree Farm ManagerCorn Crop SupervisorCorral BossCotton Gin Yard SupervisorCranberry Bog SupervisorCrew ChiefCrew ForemanCrew SupervisorDairy Farm SupervisorDetasseling Crew SupervisorDistillery ManagerDistillery SupervisorDiversified Crops SupervisorFacility ManagerFacility SupervisorFarm BossFarm Supervisor