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First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers

US occupation · SOC 45-1011

Job titles people report: Animal Research Facility Supervisor, Cattle Manager, Farm Supervisor, Fish Hatchery Manager, Harvesting Supervisor, Hatchery Manager, Logging Crew Foreman, Logging Supervisor, Pest Management Supervisor, Wildlife Manager

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025
$59,320
Half earn more, half earn less
Middle half earn
$46,670 – $75,290
25th to 75th percentile
People employed, May 2025
27,960
Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
Projected change, 2025–35
+3.8%
At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)
Openings a year (projected)
7,200
New jobs plus replacing people who leave
Typical education to enter
High school diploma or equivalent
BLS
  • All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
  • Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
  • Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of agricultural, forestry, aquacultural, and related workers.

Main tasks

  • Assign tasks such as feeding and treatment of animals, and cleaning and maintenance of animal quarters.
  • Record 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 violate safety regulations.
  • Observe animals for signs of illness, injury, or unusual behavior, notifying veterinarians or managers as warranted.
  • Observe fish and beds or ponds to detect diseases, monitor fish growth, determine quality of fish, or determine completeness of harvesting.
  • Train workers in tree felling or bucking, operation of tractors or loading machines, yarding or loading techniques, or safety regulations.
  • Treat animal illnesses or injuries, following experience or instructions of veterinarians.
  • Train workers in spawning, rearing, cultivating, and harvesting methods, and in the use of equipment.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience in a related job: less than 5 years
O*NET Job Zone 3
Medium preparation
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Interests it suits

The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.

  • Enterprising: leading, persuading and making business decisions
  • Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
  • Conventional: organising information, records and procedures

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 26 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Environmental Studies

  • Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management
  • Forestry, General
  • Forest Resources Production and Management

Find colleges that fit you with our matcher: choose Environmental Studies at the Major step.

Where many students take environmental studies

Ordered by the field's share of degrees awarded times undergraduate enrolment (College Scorecard), among colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online universities are included. It's a rough measure of how big the programme is. It says nothing about quality. The share counts every programme in the field, not only the ones linked to this career.

Agriculture

  • Agricultural Business and Management, General
  • Farm/Farm and Ranch Management
  • Agricultural Business and Management, Other
  • Agricultural Production Operations, General
  • Animal/Livestock Husbandry and Production
  • Aquaculture
  • Crop Production
  • Dairy Husbandry and Production
15 more programmes
  • Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management
  • Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture
  • Apiculture
  • Agricultural Production Operations, Other
  • Agricultural and Food Products Processing
  • Greenhouse Operations and Management
  • Plant Nursery Operations and Management
  • Animal Sciences, General
  • Dairy Science
  • Livestock Management
  • Poultry Science
  • Animal Sciences, Other
  • Viticulture and Enology
  • Plant Sciences, General
  • Agronomy and Crop Science

Find colleges that fit you with our matcher: choose Agriculture at the Major step.

Where many students take agriculture

Ordered by the field's share of degrees awarded times undergraduate enrolment (College Scorecard), among colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online universities are included. It's a rough measure of how big the programme is. It says nothing about quality. The share counts every programme in the field, not only the ones linked to this career.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

← All careers

Sources

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0

Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk