What is the most rewarding part of this job?  If you love working with crops, big equipment, tractors, and out in a field, then this is the perfect career. You get to do what you love every day and see the impact on the farm. There is something new with every day, which keeps it exciting.

Background Information:  Crop managers are either hired by farms or cooperatives. Most of the time the work is more seasonal, but there may be some consulting work in the wintertime as well. Crop managers are in charge of everything that has to do with growing crops. This includes finding land, planting, fertilizing, controlling weeds, harvesting, grading, and record keeping. Crop managers may also be in charge of employee activities and payroll.

Experience/Education Needed:  There are a lot part-time courses and clinics that will allow you to get some extra skills. You will need to keep your crop knowledge current, especially with new technology and improvements in this field.  Winter meetings, workshops, and conferences can give you continuing education credits which are needed to maintain your Certified Crop Advisor or CCA certification.

Average Salary Range: The average salary range really depends on what you do with this position and how much education you have. Farm work ranges from an hourly wage of $8 to $20. A manager with CCA certification could have a salary anywhere from $40,000 to $80,000 with benefits included.

Career Roadmap: These are the steps one might take to get to this career.

It is important to gain as much experience as possible and get out into the field. There are a lot of educational opportunities for a career like this which include four-year degrees as well a technical college degrees and courses. You can also become certified in crop advising and managing by becoming a CCA.