Farm Manager Career Profile
- Career Name - Farm Manager
- Category - Animal Care / Farming & Livestock Management
- Skills Required - Life skills 40% - Career skills 60%
- Basic School Subjects - Language, Business, Science
- Minimum Required Education - College Diploma
- Species Worked With - Farm Animal
- Kind of Interaction with Animals - Direct
Do you want to work as a Farm Manager?
READ: This page helps you to read about the career and the info you need to decide on whether this is indeed the career you want to follow.
RESEARCH: ​Learn about the skills required and minimum subjects to enter this career, as well as the places where you can study further after school.
PREPARE: If you want to plan and prepare for the career, then join the OZT Community! Members have access to tools, while chatting with other students and experts from around the world. Prepare to be amazed!
CAREER MENTOR
UPDATED:
29 May 2023
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What is a Farm Manager?
A farm manager takes charge of a farm and does the daily planning, organizing, administration and supervising of all the farm workers on behalf of the farmer
In most cases the farm belongs to the farmer, who will appoint a farm manager to help manages the farm, including the workers and livestock.
In general there are three types of farm managers, depending on the type of farm:
- Crop Farm Manager
- Livestock Farm Manager
- Manager over a farm with both crops and livestock
Livestock Farm Manager can specialize in one or more specific kinds of animals, such as:
- Dairy Farm Manager
- Poultry Farm Manager
- Stud Farm Manager
Alternative Names
Farm Managers may also be known as:
- Agricultural Managers
Career Categories
The Grazing Officer career can be found in the following career categories:
- Animal Care
- Farming and Livestock Management
What does a Farm Manager do?
Groups of animals a Farm Manager works with
What is the level of Interaction with the Animals?
- Directly - A person works directly with the animals with some form of physical contact at least once every few days
- Indirectly - The career doesn't require direct or physical contact at all.
What does a Farm Manager focus on?
The main function of a farm manager is to oversee the running or production of a farm to ensure that there is a profit.
What are the daily tasks of a Farm Manager?
- Plan the daily farm activities
- Supervise the farm workers
- Oversee the management of the livestock
- Inspect farm and organize repairs
- Research farming methods and business processes
- Meet with prospective buyers and sellers of feed and livestock
- Administration and marketing
The working Environment of a Farm Manager
Where does a Farm Manager work?
Environment –
Farm Managers spend most of their time outdoors working with the junior staff and animals. They will also spend time indoors in an office where they do the planning and administration.
Places of Employment –
They are employed by government run farms, private farmers or large agricultural research institutions and breeding facilities.
What is the average annual salary of a Farm Manager?
They can earn a yearly average of US$65,000 per year. The income will be different according to experience and country.
Can a Farm Manager be promoted?
In most cases the farm manager is the top position of all the employed people on a farm.
Farm Managers can start their own farms or businesses related to farming.
What difficulties can a Farm Manager face?
Depending on the types of animals on the farm, there can be chances of physical injuries when the animals are temperamental, or even wild.
The work might entail short deadlines, difficult buyers, long hours and working over weekends and holidays.
Future Growth and Possibilities
Overall employment is projected to grow steady at around 7%.
Which Skills are required by a Farm Manager?
The skills required for a career as a Farm Manager can be divided into two very important groups. The first is the group containing life skills, which are the core skills that are necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. The second group is career skills, or the specific skills required to allow a person to enter and operate effectively within a specific career. Some or maybe even all of the life skills can assist in strengthening the career skills, and they might even be the same for specific careers.
Life Skills
- Self-awareness
- Empathy
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Problem Solving
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal relationship
Career Skills
- Animal Handling
- Animal Care
- Customer Service
- Good health and physical fitness
- Computer literacy
Which Subjects must I have at School to prepare for this career?
Language as a subject is key for you to understand more about farming, agricultural terminology and management.
A subject such as business science, economics or even bookkeeping will be required for university acceptance if you want to study towards a major in agricultural management.
A basic biological or physiological knowledge of the animals worked with is important.
The subjects you choose at school are important as they lay the foundation for further studies at college or university. While still at school, it’s also important to learn more about the animals you will work with, as well as gain some experience.
OZT has a list of various tertiary institutions where you can study further, after school. Each of these institutions also have their own Group page on OZT where you will find the exact subjects they require of you to have passed in school. Keep these requirements in mind, and discuss it with your school, guidance counselor and parents to ensure that you are prepared!
What will I need to Study to become a Farm Manager?
Minimum Requirements
In certain countries the role of farm manager is performed by people close to the farmer, which means that they can be employed based only on experience, and not so much academic background.
But, in most cases, if you want to be employed by a medium to large farming enterprise,, the minimum qualifications to become a Farm Manager is a recognized College Diploma. Managers over large farms normally study further to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree.
Study Focus
Majors –
You can follow a degree with majors in agricultural or agribusiness management, livestock management, land and pasture management.
Short Courses –
Short Courses in animal husbandry, bookkeeping, sales and marketing.
Study Duration
The duration of a College Diploma is between 2 and 3 years and University degree between 3 to 4 years. Short Courses are usually between a few weeks and a year.
Possible Career Preparation Paths
If this is your dream career that you want to pursue, then it’s important to plan the way forward.
Why is planning important?
​To ensure that you understand the requirements for your career, and that you are always prepared for the next step on the road towards your dream. A Preparation Path is like your road map to where you want to be.
Possible Paths:
Possible Combined Career Paths
It is possible to sometimes combine two or more related careers. This normally happens when you study and practice a specific main career, but the knowledge and experience gained also help you to have a paying hobby or secondary income career.
Possible Alternatives (there are a lot more):
Average level of education of all the people who enter the career
Licenses, Certificate, Registration and Professional Associations
Learn more about requirements by joining the OZT Community.
Professional Associations
- Please add info
Where can I study further?
All of the above information will help you understand more about the Career, including the fact that there are different paths to take to reach it. But if you are almost done with High School (Grades 11 or 12), you also need to start thinking about further studies, and WHERE you will study.
See the List of Universities, Colleges and Online Training Academies who offer courses towards the field of farming and management.
Join the OZT community and Career Group
Join us as a special member and learn more about becoming a Farm Manager.
Members of the Platform have special access to:
- Info on the best places where you can study (colleges, universities and online)
- Expertly designed advice to prepare you for the career, and links to places where you can gain valuable experience. For some career experience is necessary, otherwise you wont get the job!
- Top notch info on each of the different species you will work with
- Make friends around the world and share knowledge
- Compete and win points, badges, games, prizes and certificates. Be the best of the best, while you learn and prepare!
If you have decided on being a Farm Manager, please click on the JOIN GROUP button. Members will be directed to the Group, while non-members will be assisted to register first.
If this career is NOT the career for you, then you may return to the MAIN CAREERÂ menu, and search for something different.
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