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First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of agricultural, forestry, aquacultural, and related workers.
Other titles employers use
Animal Research Facility Supervisor · Cattle Manager · Farm Supervisor · Fish Hatchery Manager · Harvesting Supervisor · Hatchery Manager · Logging Crew Foreman · Logging Supervisor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, practical and organizing work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Time Management
Subjects to know
- Administration and Management
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mechanical
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Speech Recognition
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.9 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 3.2 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.6 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.5 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 41%
- A four-year degree 33%
- A certificate or some college 20%
- A two-year degree 4%
- A master's degree 2%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Project management software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Accounting software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 16,300
- Job openings each year
- 2,150
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 3.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 16,300 | 2,150 | 3.8% |
| Washington | 4,490 | 640 | 8.7% |
| Texas | 2,940 | 390 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 2,910 | 390 | 11.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,690 | 360 | 4.7% |
| Florida | 2,620 | 340 | −1.9% |
| Oregon | 2,530 | 340 | 8.6% |
| North Carolina | 2,060 | 270 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 2,050 | 270 | 3.5% |
| Nebraska | 1,890 | 250 | 5.6% |
| Arizona | 1,670 | 220 | 3.7% |
| Alabama | 1,590 | 210 | 3.2% |
| New York | 1,530 | 0 | — |
| Tennessee | 1,280 | 170 | −3.0% |
| Michigan | 1,250 | 160 | 3.3% |
| Iowa | 1,230 | 160 | — |
| Missouri | 1,130 | 150 | 9.7% |
| Colorado | 1,120 | 150 | 7.7% |
| Mississippi | 1,070 | 140 | 1.9% |
| Minnesota | 1,020 | 130 | 5.2% |
| Oklahoma | 930 | 120 | 3.3% |
| Arkansas | 920 | 120 | 5.7% |
| Indiana | 890 | 120 | 6.0% |
| Kansas | 720 | 100 | 9.1% |
| Ohio | 650 | 90 | −4.4% |
| Illinois | 640 | 80 | 4.9% |
| South Carolina | 600 | 80 | 1.7% |
| Louisiana | 580 | 80 | 1.8% |
| Nevada | 580 | 80 | 41.5% |
| New Mexico | 550 | 70 | 7.8% |
| Utah | 550 | 70 | 10.0% |
| South Dakota | 510 | 70 | 4.1% |
| Massachusetts | 500 | 70 | 13.6% |
| Puerto Rico | 460 | 60 | 2.2% |
| Maryland | 450 | 60 | 9.8% |
| Kentucky | 410 | 60 | 5.1% |
| Maine | 370 | 50 | −2.6% |
| North Dakota | 290 | 40 | 3.6% |
| New Hampshire | 270 | 40 | 17.4% |
| Delaware | 250 | 30 | 8.7% |
| Idaho | 240 | 30 | 9.1% |
| New Jersey | 240 | 30 | 4.3% |
| Connecticut | 230 | 30 | 15.0% |
| West Virginia | 160 | 20 | — |
| Wyoming | 140 | 20 | 16.7% |
| Alaska | 120 | 20 | — |
| Rhode Island | 20 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Texas A & M University-College Station
- Degrees each year
- 958
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
University of California-Davis
- Degrees each year
- 465
- Admit rate
- 42%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
Iowa State University
- Degrees each year
- 571
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Degrees each year
- 519
- Admit rate
- 40%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Degrees each year
- 497
- Admit rate
- 44%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 387
- Admit rate
- 71%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Texas Tech University
- Degrees each year
- 375
- Admit rate
- 71%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Kansas State University
- Degrees each year
- 412
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
Compare every college offering agricultural production operations