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Agricultural Services

Nature of the Industry  |  Working Conditions  |  Employment  |  Occupations in the Industry
Training and Advancement  |  Job Outlook  |  Earnings

Significant Points

• About 41percent of all agricultural service workers are employed in California, Florida, and Texas.
• Entry-level jobs that can be learned on the job in less than a week—including those of animal caretakers, farmworkers, and grounds maintenance workers—constitute a substantial portion of employment.

Nature of the Industry

Landscape and horticultural services. Firms in this segment employ almost half of the wage and salary workers in the industry. These firms provide landscape planning and installation, landscape architecture, lawn care, and landscape and grounds maintenance services. Customers range from individual homeowners to large corporations, institutions, and Federal, State, and local governments. This segment is further subdivided into landscape architecture and landscaping, lawn maintenance, and groundskeeping firms.

Landscape architecture firms plan and design the development of land for projects, such as parks and other recreational facilities, airports, highways, and commercial and residential buildings. They prepare site plans showing landscape features, locations of structures, and roads, walks, and parking areas, as well as specifications and cost estimates for land development. Landscape contracting firms actually carry out the plans designed by landscape architecture establishments. They develop a budget for the project in consultation with the client, hire the workers and subcontractors, provide any equipment needed, and obtain the plants to install.

Landscaping, lawn maintenance, and groundskeeping firms establish and maintain grounds, lawns, and gardens for homeowners as well as for governments, colleges and universities, real estate and land developers, and other private businesses. These firms are responsible for designing, planting, mulching, watering, fertilizing, mowing, and seeding lawns and grounds; applying pesticides; installing turf and sod; and pruning plants and trees for both new and existing landscapes. They also clear outdoor areas of debris and leaves, remove snow, and maintain all outdoor amenities and decorative features such as pools and other athletic facilities, fountains, benches, and planters. These firms also help maintain and repair roads, walkways, parking lots, and storm drainage systems.

Veterinary services. Firms in this segment employ 1 in 5 wage and salary workers in the industry and provide medical care for household pets, horses, livestock, and zoo and sporting animals. The majority of veterinary practices treat companion animals, such as dogs and cats; some practices also treat pigs, goats, sheep, and some nondomestic animals. Veterinarians in such practices diagnose animal health problems, vaccinate against diseases such as distemper and rabies, medicate animals with infections or illnesses, treat and dress wounds, set fractures, perform surgery, and advise owners about feeding, behavior, and breeding. A smaller number of veterinary practices focus exclusively on large animals such as horses or cows, but may care for all kinds of livestock. Large animal veterinarians drive to farms or ranches to provide health services, with an emphasis on preventive care, for herds or individual animals. They test for and vaccinate against diseases, and consult with farm or ranch owners and managers on production, feeding, and housing issues. They also treat and dress wounds, set fractures, and perform surgery—including cesarean sections on birthing animals.

Agricultural services, not elsewhere classified. This segment of the industry includes firms that provide farm labor management services and soil preparation and crop services. Farm labor and management services firms account for nearly 16 percent of wage and salary jobs in agricultural services. Farm labor contractors or crew leaders provide and manage temporary farm laborers—often migrant workers—who usually work during peak harvesting times. Contractors may place bids with farmers to harvest labor-intensive crops such as fruit, nuts, or vegetables or perform other short-term tasks. Once the bid is accepted, the contractor, or crew leader, organizes and supervises the laborers as they harvest, load, move, and store the crops. Farm management services establishments guide and assist farm and ranch land owners, farmers, and ranchers in maximizing the financial returns to their land by managing the day-to-day activities necessary to run a farming operation. Farm management services usually negotiate with the landowner to receive a percentage of any profit resulting from agricultural production on the land. They may employ or contract with a tenant farmer to oversee the actual crop or livestock production.

Companies that provide soil preparation and crop services plant, cultivate, and harvest crops by machine and employ only about 1 in 9 wage and salary agricultural services workers. Because some types of farm machinery are highly specialized and very expensive, farms that do not want to invest in machinery often contract with these specialized firms to perform planting, harvesting, or other tasks. For example, farmers or farm managers might contract with crop services firms to do aerial dusting and spraying of pesticides over a large number of acres. Establishments in crop services also perform tasks to prepare crops for market, including shelling, fumigating, cleaning, grading, grinding, and packaging agricultural products.

Animal services, except veterinary. This is the smallest segment of the agricultural services industry, accounting for only about 5 percent of wage and salary employment. It is divided into those establishments providing livestock services and those providing services for pets, horses, and other animal specialties. Nonfarm animal services include animal shelters, boarding dog kennels and horse stables, dog grooming, and animal training. Livestock services include firms that assist in breeding and artificial insemination, do sheep dipping and shearing, and provide herd improvement advice. Breeding services usually monitor herd condition and nutrition, evaluate the quality and quantity of forage, recommend adjustments to feeding when necessary, identify the best cattle or other livestock for breeding and calving, advise on livestock pedigrees, inseminate cattle artificially, and feed and care for sires.

Working Conditions

Workers in veterinary and animal services may have to lift, hold, or restrain animals of all sizes, and risk being bitten, kicked, or scratched. Evening, night, and weekend or holiday work is common, and some of the tasks of animal caretakers, such as cleaning cages and lifting heavy supplies, may be unpleasant and physically demanding. Many of the jobs in landscape and horticultural services also are physically demanding and repetitive. Laborers do much bending, kneeling, and shoveling, and lift and move supplies as they plant shrubs, trees, flowers, and grass and install decorative features.

Many workers in all segments of the agricultural services industry risk exposure to insecticides, germicides, and other potentially hazardous chemicals that are sprayed on crops and plants or used to treat insect infestation or other conditions in animals.

Also, much of the work in this industry is performed outdoors in all kinds of weather, and adequate sanitation facilities, including drinking water, may not always be available to employees. Some farmworkers and landscaping laborers also must cope with the difficulty in obtaining year-round, full-time employment because of the short-term or seasonal nature of the work. They often must string together as many jobs as possible. Workers also run the risk of injury when working with planting and harvesting equipment, such as combines, chain saws, and electric clippers. In 1999, the rate of injury and illness in agricultural services was 7.1 per 100 full-time workers, compared with 6.3 for all private industry.

Employment

The median age of agricultural services workers is about 36 years, nearly 4 years younger than the median for workers in all industries. This industry provides employment for many new entrants to the labor market. In 2000, almost 22 percent of the industry’s workers were between 16 and 24 years old. More than 47 percent were under age 35, compared with 38 percent of workers in all industries combined—reflecting the high proportion of seasonal and part-time job opportunities.

Nearly 41 percent of all agricultural services workers are employed in California, Florida, and Texas. Other States with a large number of agricultural services workers include Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York.

Occupations in the Industry

Service workers in grounds maintenance occupations include first-line supervisors and managers of landscaping, lawn service and groundskeeping workers; landscaping and groundskeeping workers; tree trimmers and pruners; and pesticide handlers, sprayers and applicators, vegetation. These workers are employed largely in landscape and horticultural services establishments and account for 32 percent of industry employment. First-line supervisors and managers of landscaping, lawn service and groundskeeping workers, also known as landscape contractors, coordinate and oversee the installation of trees, flowers, shrubs, sod, benches, and other ornamental features. They implement construction plans at the site, which may involve grading the property, installing lighting or irrigation systems, and building walkways, terraces, patios, and fountains. Landscaping workers install and maintain landscaped areas by transporting and planting new vegetation; transplanting, mulching, fertilizing, watering, and pruning plants; and mowing and watering lawns. Groundskeeping workers perform many of the same tasks as landscaping laborers, but their duties usually are more varied, and encompass snow, leaf, and debris removal, and upkeep and repair of sidewalks, equipment, pools, fences, and benches. Tree trimmers and pruners specialize in pruning, trimming, and shaping ornamental trees and shrubs, or cutting away dead or excess branches to maintain rights-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities. Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation mix and apply pesticides on trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.

Landscape architects, also concentrated in the landscape and horticultural services segment, plan and design the arrangement of flowers, shrubs, trees, walkways, fountains and other decorative features for parks, shopping centers, golf courses, private residences, and industrial parks. They also perform environmental impact studies and work on environmental remediation projects, in addition to urban and community planning.

Veterinarians provide healthcare, ranging from preventive medicine to diagnosis and treatment of diseases or injuries, for pets and farm or other animals. They also advise pet owners about feeding, behavior, and breeding, and consult with farm or ranch owners and managers on production, feeding, and disease prevention and eradication. Some inspect livestock at public stockyards and at points of entry into the United States to keep diseased animals out of the country or administer tests for animal diseases, and conduct programs for disease control. Veterinary technologists and technicians usually work under the supervision of a veterinarian and assist in providing medical care to animals. They may prepare and administer injections and medications, dress wounds, take vital signs, prepare animals and instruments for surgery, and perform laboratory tests.

Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers also may aid veterinarians, but are more involved in providing basic care for animals, cleaning cages and examination areas, feeding, changing water dishes, and monitoring animals recovering from surgery. Nonfarm animal caretakers have similar duties but are less likely to work directly for veterinarians focused on medical care. They provide basic care for animals, and feed, water, bathe, groom, and monitor the exercise activities of those under their charge. Their duties vary depending on the type of establishment in which they work. For example, animal caretakers employed in shelters keep records of the animals received and discharged, answer questions from the public, and euthanize seriously ill or unwanted animals, in addition to providing basic care. Animal caretakers in stables saddle and unsaddle horses, give them rubdowns, polish saddles, and store supplies and feed.

Animal breeders, classified under all other farming, fishing, and forestry workers, use their knowledge of genetics to select and breed animals, either for show or improved performance or productivity. Responsibilities typically include feeding, watering, and housing breeding animals, and maintaining weight, diet, and pedigree records.

Table 1. Employment of wage and salary workers in agricultural services by occupation, 2000 and projected change, 2000-2010 (Employment in thousands)
Occupation	Employment, 2000		Percent change, 2000-10
	Number	Percent
All occupations	1,099	100.0	38.6
Management, business, and financial occupations	43	3.9	42.1
Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers	3	0.3	45.3
General and operations managers	18	1.6	38.5
Professional and related occupations	101	9.1	43.8
Landscape architects	7	0.7	43.2
Veterinarians	38	3.4	47.8
Veterinary technologists and technicians	46	4.2	41.3
Service occupations	516	46.9	42.5
First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers	46	4.1	24.0
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers	48	4.3	42.4
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	302	27.4	49.4
Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation	16	1.4	25.3
Tree trimmers and pruners	38	3.5	24.0
Nonfarm animal caretakers	47	4.2	37.1
Sales and related occupations	14	1.3	40.8
Office and administrative support occupations	101	9.2	32.2
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	12	1.1	28.0
Receptionists and information clerks	36	3.2	25.8
Office clerks, general	16	1.5	49.3
Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive	12	1.1	18.7
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	243	22.1	32.0
First-line supervisors/managers/contractors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers	15	1.4	35.6
Farmworkers	188	17.1	32.3
Graders and sorters, agricultural products	19	1.7	22.9
All other farming, fishing, and forestry workers	20	1.8	34.6
Construction and extraction occupations	15	1.4	41.7
Construction trades and related workers	14	1.3	41.3
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	12	1.1	32.6
Production occupations	14	1.3	25.9
Transportation and material moving occupations	40	3.7	33.4
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer	7	0.6	41.6
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	11	1.0	27.2
Packers and packagers, hand	10	0.9	35.4
NOTE: May not add to totals due to omission of occupations with small employment.

Farmworkers perform the manual labor required to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops and horticultural products, and to care for and handle livestock. Crop duties vary with the season. Before seeding, they may prepare the soil by tilling and fertilizing. Once the crops are partially grown, they may return to farms to cultivate fields, transplant, weed, or prune. Often, they spray crops to control weeds, harmful insects, and fungi. Some farms, such as those producing fruit or vegetables, need large numbers of workers to harvest crops. After the harvest, workers are needed to prepare produce for shipment. Farmworkers who work in nurseries and greenhouses help to cultivate the plants used in landscaping projects by preparing nursery acreage or greenhouse beds for planting, and watering, weeding, and spraying trees, shrubs, and plants. They also prepare sod, trees, and other plants for transport to landscaping sites. The duties of farmworkers who care for and handle livestock vary by type of livestock. All livestock must have fresh water and feed. Pests and diseases must be monitored and controlled. Special care must be given to animals when they are giving birth. Dairy cows and other milk-producing animals such as dairy goats must be milked many times a day with close attention to sanitation and cleanliness.

Many of the farmworkers in agricultural services contract for employment with farm labor contractors, or crew leaders, who contract with farms to provide workers to perform what are often short-term, labor-intensive farm jobs, such as manually harvesting, loading, and moving vegetables. The crew leader also is responsible for transporting the hired workers to the fields or orchards, and for meeting Federal and State regulations regarding the hiring of transient workers, including paying a guaranteed minimum wage, payment for overtime work, and collecting Social Security taxes. Crew leaders, like the workers they hire and supervise, may practice “follow-the-crop” migration, typically recruiting a crew in the southern States, then moving north in a set pattern as crops ripen. Others remain in a single locality.

Agricultural equipment operators, classified under all other farming, fishing, and forestry workers, drive the heavy machinery used to mechanically harvest and combine crops. Graders and sorters, agricultural products sort and classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition.

Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers use their knowledge of agriculture and business to make farming management decisions for landowners. Managers may employ a farm operator or contract with a tenant farmer to run the day-to-day activities involved in crop or livestock production. Farm managers help select the type and mix of crops; select practices for tillage and soil conservation as well as methods of irrigation; purchase seed, pesticides, and fertilizers; determine crop transportation and storage requirements; market the crops or livestock; oversee maintenance of the property and equipment; recommend capital improvements; and monitor operating expenses. Farm managers also may hire and assign workers when needed, contract with other firms for specialized services such as chemical spraying of crops, and advise landowners about the purchase or sale of additional farmlands. Managers who work with livestock must know how to maximize animal production by select breeding stock and culling herds, for example. They also must understand animal nutrition, behavior, and handling techniques, as well as how to recognize and control disease and pest problems. Managing an agricultural or livestock production operation is a sophisticated business, and farm managers use computers extensively. Some also use cutting-edge technologies, such as the Global Positioning System and remote sensing.

Training & Advancement

For jobs such as veterinarian, landscape architect, and farm manager, a minimum of 4 years of formal postsecondary training is needed. Aspiring veterinarians generally complete 4 years of preveterinary study, including biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus, before embarking on 4 years of veterinary medical school. They graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and must obtain a license to practice. Prospective landscape architects must complete a professional program in landscape architecture, and be registered or licensed before they may practice in most States. Farm managers usually obtain a bachelor’s degree in a business-related field with a concentration in agriculture. A degree in an agriculture-related discipline with an emphasis on business courses, such as marketing and finance, also is good preparation. Many States require farm managers to carry a real estate license. Farm managers may obtain the designation Accredited Farm Manager through the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers after several years of experience and of meeting established standards, although accreditation is not mandatory. College training and professional licensing or certification also may be required for many other jobs in agricultural services, such as grounds manager and landscape contractor. Schools of agriculture are found at many State universities and all State land grant colleges. They offer a variety of programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.

Community colleges and vocational schools also offer an array of programs for people interested in various agricultural services occupations—for example, animal breeder, agricultural equipment operator, and horticultural or landscaping supervisor. Many employers prefer previous work experience, combined with vocational certification or a 2-year degree. Many States have licensing requirements for veterinary technologists, which include 2 years of college-level study in an accredited veterinary technology program culminating in an Associate in Applied Science or related degree, and passing an examination before being allowed to fully assist veterinarians.

Opportunities for advancement for agricultural services workers vary by occupation. Farmworkers have limited opportunities for advancement, but experienced and highly motivated laborers may move into positions as farm labor contractors or crew leaders. Likewise, grounds maintenance workers may advance to supervisory positions after gaining experience, or become managers of landscape operations. Some become self-employed landscape or lawn service contractors, but such positions may require additional formal training. Although many top-level managerial and professional jobs—especially in small companies—are filled by promotion from within, technological innovations in agronomy and animal husbandry have made postsecondary education advantageous for career advancement in agricultural services.

Job Outlook

The agricultural services industry grew very rapidly from the late 1980s through the 1990s, with several segments of the industry experiencing strong employment increases. Job growth was fueled by especially strong increases in two of the largest segments—landscaping and horticultural services, and veterinary services. Although demand for agricultural services is expected to remain strong, the rate of employment growth is expected to slow over the 2000-10 period.

Employment gains in landscaping and horticultural services are tied, in part, to the level of new construction. Construction activity tends to vary depending on the health of the overall economy. Over the long run, the construction industry is expected to grow, though at a slower rate than over the previous 10-year period. Federal, State, and local government budget constraints also may limit demand for services to develop and care for grounds. Nevertheless, the employment outlook should remain bright. Individuals and businesses are expected to increasingly recognize the value of maintaining and renovating existing landscaping and grounds. As businesses compete to attract customers, enhancing curb appeal by investing in landscaping and lawn services will become an increasingly important marketing consideration. A growing number of homeowners continue to use lawn maintenance and landscaping services to enhance the beauty of their property and to conserve leisure time. Additionally, many land developers and builders who face complex environmental regulations and land-use zoning issues are turning to landscape architecture firms for help in planning sites and integrating buildings and other structures into the natural environment. Overall concern about environmental issues and a growing appreciation for nature will add to the desire for more professional landscaping and horticultural services.

Employment gains in veterinary services, partially attributable to increases in the number of pet owners, are expected to be slower than in the past several years, but still healthy during the projection period. Increases in the pet population, and new technology and better marketing of nontraditional pet medical services, such as preventive dental care, will contribute to demand for veterinary services.

Nonfarm animal services, except veterinary, should be affected by rising trends in pet population growth. Pet owners are expected to increasingly take advantage of grooming services and daily and overnight boarding services.

Slower employment growth is expected of farm-related agricultural services—crop services, soil preparation services, farm labor and management services, and livestock services—that are linked to the health of the agricultural production industry. When agricultural producers face difficult times, such as the recent economic downturns in some Asian countries that reduced the demand for exports of agricultural products from the United States, the demand for farm-related agricultural services also drop. Over the long-run, however, overall employment should increase. Growth in the animal population, emphasis on scientific methods of breeding and raising livestock and poultry, and continued support for public health and disease control programs, will contribute to the demand for farm-related veterinary and livestock animal services. Farmers and agricultural managers should continue to turn to farm labor contracting services to ease their responsibility for meeting labor requirements for workers who are only needed on a temporary basis. Mechanization of the industry is largely in place, and food needs will continue to grow as the population increases. However, agricultural producers are expected to continue to produce more with less labor. The dominance of large producers, food companies, and agribusiness, along with farms that are growing in average size, allows the use of state-of-the-art, more efficient farming practices and technologies, leading to slower demand for contracting services.

Earnings

Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics

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