National data — wages and growth are not published by state for this view.
Occupation · SOC 45-2093
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, milking, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep and collect eggs in hatcheries.
Critical ThinkingMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingOperations MonitoringOperation and ControlActive ListeningTroubleshootingReading Comprehension
Knowledge areas
Production and ProcessingBiologyAdministration and ManagementEnglish LanguageMechanical
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareWord processing softwareInternet browser software
Representative tasks
Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences.Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.Move equipment, poultry, or livestock from one location to another, manually or using trucks or carts.Clean stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, water hoses, or pumps.Mix feed, additives, and medicines in prescribed portions.Shift animals between grazing areas to ensure that they have sufficient access to food.Protect herds from predators, using trained dogs.Order food for animals, and arrange for its delivery.Perform duties related to livestock reproduction, such as breeding animals within appropriate timeframes, performing artificial inseminations, and helping with animal births.Patrol grazing lands on horseback or using all-terrain vehicles.Maintain growth, feeding, production, and cost records.Groom, clip, trim, or castrate animals, dock ears and tails, or shear coats to collect hair.Spray livestock with disinfectants and insecticides, or dip or bathe animals.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Daily feeding and watering routines — perform reliably under a herdsperson's direction on a commercial farm.Animal handling basics (sorting, restraint, low-stress handling) — apply consistently on assigned species.Personal protective equipment and biosecurity (boot baths, dedicated clothing) — follow without prompting.Routine pen and barn cleaning — perform on schedule with documented results.Standard equipment (milking units, automated feeders, scales) — operate safely with training.Animal-observation rounds (lameness, off-feed, distress) — conduct and report to the herd manager.Treatment-record entries — log accurately under a supervisor's verification.Routine vaccinations and injections — administer per the veterinarian's protocol with supervision.Hot- and cold-weather animal-care procedures — apply consistently on the farm.Daily-task logs and shift hand-offs — maintain to the operation's standards.
developing
Routine herd or flock health programs — execute under the veterinarian's standing orders.Calving, farrowing, lambing, or hatching support — provide independently in routine cases.Routine repairs (gates, fences, water systems, ventilation) — perform with documented checklists.Milking-parlor operations (or aquaculture harvest, or poultry catching) — lead a shift in production.Animal-welfare standards (industry program, FARM, NCC, GAA-BAP) — apply per the operation's certifications.Junior workers and new hires — train on safety, biosecurity, and animal handling.Routine inventory (semen, vaccines, feed additives) — manage at task level under a herd manager.Standard records (DHIA, PigCHAMP, individual ID systems) — maintain accurately.Cross-task flexibility (calving, processing, equipment maintenance) — adapt with rapid retraining.Crew safety and near-miss reporting — own at the field level.
proficient
Herdsperson or farm-floor leadership — own across feeding, breeding, health, and production records.Production records and benchmarking — analyze for milk, growth, hatch, or feed-conversion improvements.Vaccination, treatment, and biosecurity programs — execute per the veterinarian's plan at scale.Major repairs and equipment overhauls — schedule and oversee with vendors and operators.Continuous-improvement projects (heat stress, mastitis, lameness, mortality) — lead with measurable outcomes.Cross-shift coordination — own across day and night crews with clear documentation.Routine audits (welfare, sustainability, certification) — host with documentation and prepared responses.Junior herdspersons and lead workers — supervise across a small team.Vendor and milk-/processor-buyer relationships — manage at routine level.Operating budgets (feed, supplies, labor) — manage at unit scale under the owner.
advanced
Production-operations leadership for a dairy, ranch, or aquaculture site — set direction across staff and animal welfare.Capital decisions (parlor upgrades, ventilation, automation) — author and defend with the owner.Major audits and certifications (welfare, sustainability, food-safety) — lead at executive level.Workforce development — own across training, certifications, and retention with HR partners.Industry forums (commodity boards, breed associations) — represent the operation.Disaster response (disease incursion, weather, equipment failure) — command across staff and vendors.Vertical-integration partnerships (processor, retailer, cooperative) — own at operational and strategic levels.Long-term reproductive and genetics programs — set across years and generations in collaboration with breeders.Safety culture and welfare ethics — institutionalize across crews.Legacy mentorship of herdspersons and farm-floor leads — institutionalize through training.