U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAttend 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. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep, and collect eggs in hatcheries.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29,790 | 3.0 % | $11.60 | $24,130 | 0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $8.04 | $8.90 | $10.62 | $13.50 | $17.06 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $16,730 | $18,510 | $22,100 | $28,080 | $35,490 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Animal Production | 11,290 | 42.09 | $11.73 | $24,400 |
| Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | 6,770 | 9.00 | $10.37 | $21,570 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 2,670 | 0.54 | $12.48 | $25,960 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | 760 | 0.07 | $10.53 | $21,900 |
| Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers | 670 | 0.08 | $10.70 | $22,250 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Animal Production | 11,290 | 42.09 | $11.73 | $24,400 |
| Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | 6,770 | 9.00 | $10.37 | $21,570 |
| Animal Food Manufacturing | 330 | 0.64 | $12.16 | $25,300 |
| RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps | 270 | 0.60 | $13.38 | $27,820 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 2,670 | 0.54 | $12.48 | $25,960 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 330 | 0.02 | $20.90 | $43,480 |
| Local Government (OES Designation) | 290 | 0.01 | $16.08 | $33,460 |
| State Government (OES Designation) | 410 | 0.02 | $16.07 | $33,430 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 600 | 0.02 | $14.33 | $29,810 |
| Civic and Social Organizations | 40 | 0.01 | $14.18 | $29,490 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 2,490 | 0.24 | 1.04 | $11.01 | $22,900 |
| California | 2,420 | 0.17 | 0.74 | $12.22 | $25,420 |
| Kentucky | 2,240 | 1.29 | 5.56 | $10.10 | $21,000 |
| Oklahoma | 1,500 | 1.00 | 4.32 | $10.48 | $21,790 |
| Virginia | 1,340 | 0.38 | 1.62 | $11.58 | $24,080 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 2,240 | 1.29 | 5.56 | $10.10 | $21,000 |
| Oklahoma | 1,500 | 1.00 | 4.32 | $10.48 | $21,790 |
| Nebraska | 790 | 0.87 | 3.75 | $10.78 | $22,430 |
| Iowa | 1,270 | 0.87 | 3.77 | $11.90 | $24,750 |
| Montana | 340 | 0.79 | 3.41 | $11.99 | $24,940 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 70 | 0.06 | 0.28 | $16.75 | $34,840 |
| Wyoming | 200 | 0.74 | 3.18 | $16.07 | $33,430 |
| Massachusetts | 150 | 0.05 | 0.20 | $14.61 | $30,380 |
| South Carolina | 470 | 0.26 | 1.14 | $14.42 | $30,000 |
| Utah | 150 | 0.13 | 0.55 | $14.39 | $29,940 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 1,490 | 6.23 | 26.84 | $10.12 | $21,050 |
| Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN | 350 | 0.60 | 2.60 | $9.84 | $20,460 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 340 | 0.15 | 0.64 | $16.66 | $34,640 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 340 | 0.09 | 0.39 | $11.31 | $23,520 |
| Ocala, FL | 320 | 3.61 | 15.54 | $10.05 | $20,890 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 290 | 0.17 | 0.74 | $11.53 | $23,990 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 280 | 0.13 | 0.54 | $10.31 | $21,440 |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | 260 | 0.14 | 0.62 | $12.27 | $25,520 |
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division | 260 | 0.07 | 0.31 | $11.52 | $23,950 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 260 | 4.54 | 19.56 | (8) | (8) |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 1,490 | 6.23 | 26.84 | $10.12 | $21,050 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 260 | 4.54 | 19.56 | (8) | (8) |
| Ocala, FL | 320 | 3.61 | 15.54 | $10.05 | $20,890 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 190 | 2.74 | 11.79 | $10.06 | $20,930 |
| Dothan, AL | 90 | 1.63 | 7.02 | $11.44 | $23,800 |
| Kingston, NY | 90 | 1.60 | 6.89 | $13.14 | $27,330 |
| Manhattan, KS | 80 | 1.54 | 6.63 | $9.37 | $19,480 |
| Greeley, CO | 100 | 1.25 | 5.38 | $11.13 | $23,160 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 50 | 1.09 | 4.68 | $15.19 | $31,590 |
| Pine Bluff, AR | 30 | 0.95 | 4.11 | $9.12 | $18,970 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 60 | 0.45 | 1.93 | $19.25 | $40,040 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | 50 | 0.05 | 0.23 | $18.33 | $38,120 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 90 | 0.09 | 0.39 | $17.67 | $36,760 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 340 | 0.15 | 0.64 | $16.66 | $34,640 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 70 | 0.22 | 0.94 | $15.95 | $33,170 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 50 | 1.09 | 4.68 | $15.19 | $31,590 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 110 | 0.02 | 0.09 | $14.95 | $31,090 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 120 | 0.05 | 0.20 | $14.92 | $31,030 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 90 | 0.44 | 1.88 | $14.64 | $30,450 |
| Madison, WI | 100 | 0.30 | 1.28 | $14.50 | $30,150 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 790 | 2.08 | 8.94 | $9.91 | $20,610 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 430 | 3.00 | 12.93 | $11.26 | $23,420 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 380 | 1.73 | 7.45 | $11.58 | $24,080 |
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 330 | 1.64 | 7.08 | $12.76 | $26,530 |
| South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | 320 | 2.52 | 10.84 | $10.49 | $21,820 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 230 | 3.42 | 14.71 | $13.07 | $27,180 |
| Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | 200 | 3.17 | 13.65 | $11.56 | $24,040 |
| Northwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 3.09 | 13.33 | $18.30 | $38,070 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 430 | 3.00 | 12.93 | $11.26 | $23,420 |
| South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | 320 | 2.52 | 10.84 | $10.49 | $21,820 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Central Utah nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $18.31 | $38,080 |
| Northwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 3.09 | 13.33 | $18.30 | $38,070 |
| Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.07 | 4.59 | $16.33 | $33,970 |
| West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $16.23 | $33,750 |
| North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.68 | 2.91 | $15.75 | $32,770 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order
List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order
Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files
Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012
