Agriculture and Natural Resources · Career brief

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

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$59,320

Middle-of-the-pack pay

2025 national median. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.

2Demand

3.8%

Slow projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

7,200

Moderate opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

High school

A four-year degree is not the typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent + related experience. Related work experience is typically required.

5The work

Persuasive / leading

Influence, decisions, and results matter

Assign tasks such as feeding and treatment of animals, and cleaning and maintenance of animal quarters.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

ChooseField take

The national benchmarks are mixed, so the work itself and the route in matter more than any standout pay or demand signal. It makes the most sense if persuasive or leadership-oriented work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a high-school entry path. Main tradeoff: BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Before choosing, compare:Log Graders and Scalers Logging Equipment Operators Fallers

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers with another field Explore rankings in Agriculture and Natural Resources Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$59,320

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

3.8%employment growth7,200openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

57,600

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers (45-1011).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

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.
Treat animal illnesses or injuries, following experience or instructions of veterinarians.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.
Operating or riding in vehicles is a recurring part of the work rather than an occasional trip.
The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.0
Getting Information4.0
Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.0
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.9
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.8

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Enterprising6.0
Realistic5.5
Conventional4.7
Social2.9
Investigative2.2
Artistic1.0

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Production and Processing Mechanical Biology Food Production

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Run a small investigation with a written hypothesis, observations or public data, and a conclusion that states what the evidence cannot prove.
Ask someone doing this job which feeder role built the required experience, what that earlier job paid, and how long the transition actually took.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Speaking among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

Prior related experience: less than 5 years. Look for the preceding roles and promotion route before treating this as a first job.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options

Compare before committing

The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Log Graders and Scalers, Logging Equipment Operators, Fallers, Forest and Conservation Workers.