How to hire farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals. • Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain. • Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies. • Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures. • Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences. • Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos. • Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment. • Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong critical thinking, monitoring, active listening, reading comprehension and speaking skills • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $17.63 an hour ($36,670 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals do
- Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.
- Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.
- Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
- Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
- Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences.
- Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.
- Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.
- Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -3.2% over ten years, declining · about 26,600 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $46,020 |
| Washington | $45,370 |
| Colorado | $39,740 |
| North Carolina | $38,750 |
| Virginia | $38,670 |
| Michigan | $32,660 |
| Ohio | $31,200 |
| Georgia | $28,410 |
See farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals pay in every state
Related hiring guides
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- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
- Agricultural Equipment Operators
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products
- Agricultural Technicians
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
- Animal Caretakers
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.