Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Machines can already do 23% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 62%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 23% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 62% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 32,810 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $36,670 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 68% for contact with people.
- Also called: Cowboy, Farm Hand, Farrowing Worker, Herdsman.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies | 23% | 30% to 75% | |
| Clean stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, water hoses, or pumps | 12% | 30% to 75% | |
| Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences | 10% | 3% to 30% | |
| Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals | 8% | 30% to 75% | |
| Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures | 6% | 30% to 75% | |
| Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain | 6% | 3% to 30% | |
| Move equipment, poultry, or livestock from one location to another, manually or using trucks or carts | 5% | 30% to 75% | |
| Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment | 4% | 3% to 30% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Animal Caretakers51% of tasks by 2035 · US median $35,360
- Transportation Security Screeners49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $66,770
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $49,400
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $33,580
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals?
Machines can do 23% of the tasks of farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals today and 62% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 45-2093.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/farmworkers-farm-ranch-and-aquacultural-animals/