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That’s according to the most recent Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates from U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS-May 2006).

In round numbers, farm and ranch workers were making an average hourly wage of $9.92; an average of $20,630 annually. Farm laborers came in at $8.48 for an hourly average; $17,630 per year. As for the animal trainers—classified as a personal care and service occupation, they were pulling down $14.39 per hour on average, or $29,920 per year.

At least in broad terms, none of this is new. Anyone who owns, runs or works for a cattle operation already knows they’d better love it and be willing to accept lifestyle in return for partial pay because the cash wages are often sub-stellar.

Yes, the broad definitions leave a gaping hole that don’t necessarily accommodate specific positions and pays. Likewise, the figures account for wages, not total economic benefits, such as use of a house, beef in the freezer, those kinds of benefits often included in ranch positions.

What’s worth reviewing or discovering, though, is where agricultural pay ranks—specifically for those involved with livestock—compared to what everyone else out there with time to trade is making. The difference represents the gap that typically must be narrowed, if not overcome in order to: find and keep employees, keep or entice kids back to the family ranch, stay hooked as an employee.

No, you shouldn’t take as Gospel that a particular category is paying a particular wage in a certain part of the world. These are estimates, but based on the relative error associated with them, they do offer relative levels and lines of differentiation.

If you’re squeamish, stop now.

Of the 22 broad Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) categories, Farming, Fishing and Forestry Occupations pay better than one other category—Food Preparation and Serving-related Occupations. The former was paying an average of $10.49 per hour, compared to an $8.86 average for the latter. For the farming occupations, more of the jobs paid less than average, though, with the median wage at $8.63 (see Table 1).

Note that different categorization employed by the two BLS models used for data in this article yield similar sounding categories that have slightly different pay levels.
Of the 111 specific job titles in the production category (which includes Farming, Fishing and Forestry titles), only three offer lower pay than Farm Workers—farm and Ranch (hourly mean $9.92). Sewing machine operators were fetching $9.78, Laundry and Drycleaner workers made $9.08, and Pressers—textile, garment and related materials received $8.88.
The overall Production category includes everything from Shoe Repairers and Leather Workers ($10.41), to Etchers and Engravers ($13.34), to Machinists ($17.22), to Refinery Operators and Gaugers ($25.20).

Geography and Position Count
Presumably, these wage estimates don’t include the self-employed. So, if you own a ranch or a business serving it, your wages aren’t accounted for in the survey, specifically.

With that said, Farm, Ranch and Agricultural Management3 positions pay about three times more than those included in the OES category of Farm workers, Farm and Ranch Animals1. Management positions paid an average hourly wage of $28.15 ($58,550 annually) compared to the $9.92 average per hour ($20,630 annually) received by workers in the ranch animal category. By way of contrast, Animal Breeders4 came in at $15.37 per hours on average, $31,970 per year.

Broken down by percentiles, the range in pay for each of these categories is wider than the Grand Canyon (Table 2).

Moreover, as you would suspect, there are plenty of regional and state differences. For instance, of the 11 western states, Farm workers—farm and ranch animals in Wyoming receive the highest pay of $14.81 average per hour, while those in Nevada receive the least at an average of $7.56 per hour (see Table 3 page 46).

Of the eight western states reporting a figure for Farm, Ranch and Other Agricultural Managers, Washington offered the most pay at an average of $39.18 per hour or $81,490 annually. Oregon was at the bottom of the scale at an average of $22.96 per hour or $47,760 per year (see Table 4 page 46.)

Ag Workers to Remain Scarce
Whether you’re plotting the direction of your business or a career, all indications are that the future will remain similar for livestock-related occupations.

In the recently released Occupational Employment Projections to 2016 from BLS, Arlene Dohm a supervisory economist, and Lynn Shniper, an economist, in the BLS Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections report:

“Two agriculture-related occupations will see large de­clines: farmers and ranchers; and farm workers and labor­ers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse. Farmers and ranchers will decline by 90,000 jobs, farm workers and laborers by 20,000, as market pressures and improved farm technol­ogy result in the consolidation of farms into fewer and larger units. Rising imports of agricultural products also will reduce demand for these workers. The continuing ability of the agriculture sector to produce more with few­er workers will cause some farmers to go out of business as market pressures leave little room for the marginally successful farmer.”
Though BLS projects Farming, Fishing and Forestry occupations to decline by only about 2.8% by 2016, understand that with approximately 1 million workers, you’re talking about only 0.70% of the total workforce declining to 0.60%.

Part of the decline, according to the broader report, has to do with an expected reduction in the overall workforce due in part to the aging Baby Boomers, with fewer working-age folks directly behind them.

In round numbers, BLS projections call for the civilian workforce to grow at 0.80% annually through 2016, slightly less than the 0.90% rate in 2006. However, what’s termed as participation rate—basically, folks of all ages capable of working who choose to—is expected to decline slightly from 66.2% in 2006 to 65.5% in 2016. In other words, the workforce will grow slower than the population rate.

So, the slice of agricultural workers looks to get smaller even as the overall labor pie becomes skinner.

Even so, BLS projections look for Gross Domestic Product to grow at about 2.8% annually until 2016, slightly less than the average of 3.1% from 1996 6o 2006.

None of this spells doom for the livestock industry. However, all of it is part of the cause and effect that continues to drive attrition in production agriculture.

For more details about the data in this article, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Occupation Definitions used by Bureau of Labor Statistics

Farm workers, Farm and Ranch Animals: Attend to live farm, ranch, or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, 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, 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. Include workers who shear wool from sheep, and collect eggs in hatcheries.

Farm workers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse: Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; cleaning, grading, sorting, packing and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.
Farm, Ranch, and Other Agricultural Managers: On a paid basis, manage farms, ranches, aquacultural operations, greenhouses, nurseries, timber tracts, cotton gins, packing houses, or other agricultural establishments for employers. Carry out production, financial, and marketing decisions relating to the managed operations following guidelines from the owner. May contract tenant farmers or producers to carry out the day-to-day activities of the managed operation. May supervise planting, cultivating, harvesting, and marketing activities. May prepare cost, production, and other records. May perform physical work and operate machinery.

Animal Breeders: Breed animals, including cattle, goats, horses, sheep, swine, poultry, dogs, cats, or pet birds. Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require a knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.

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