TRADES Zone 5: Extensive Preparation

Farm and Home Management Educators

Farm and Home Management Educators earn $60,220 nationally at the median. The middle 50% of workers fall between $46,990 and $73,130. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and experience.

About Farm and Home Management Educators

Instruct and advise individuals and families engaged in agriculture, agricultural-related processes, or home management activities. Demonstrate procedures and apply research findings to advance agricultural and home management activities. May develop educational outreach programs. May instruct on either agricultural issues such as agricultural processes and techniques, pest management, and food safety, or on home management issues such as budgeting, nutrition, and child development.


Median Wage
$60,220
Employed Nationally
8K
Openings / Year
1,100
Entry Education
Master's degree
Job Zone
Zone 5: Extensive Preparation

Also known as:

4-H Agent 4-H Club Agent 4-H Youth Development Educator 4-H Youth Development Specialist 4-H Youth Educator

How Much Do Farm and Home Management Educators Make?

Farm and Home Management Educators earn $60,220 nationally, near the national median for college graduates. The middle 50% of earners fall between $46,990 and $73,130. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and location.

$60,220
National Median (Annual)

Near the national median for college graduates.

$47K–$73K
Middle 50% Range

25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.


Earnings Range

What Do Farm and Home Management Educators Do?

O*NET data identifies 5 core activities and 5 measurable skills for Farm and Home Management Educators roles. Use this section to judge whether the day-to-day reality aligns with what you actually want to spend time doing.

What You'll Do

  • Advise farmers and demonstrate techniques in areas such as feeding and health maintenance of livestock, growing and harvesting practices, and financial planning.
  • Conduct classes or deliver lectures on subjects such as nutrition, home management, and farming techniques.
  • Collaborate with producers to diagnose and prevent management and production problems.
  • Research information requested by farmers.
  • Collect and evaluate data to determine community program needs.

Core Skills Employers Look For

Active Listening Speaking Reading Comprehension Writing Social Perceptiveness

Who Thrives Here

S
Social

Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.

I
Investigative

This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.

R
Realistic

Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.

Where Do Farm and Home Management Educators Work?

What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.

Work Setting
Mixed

Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.

Physical Demands
Light

Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.

Stress Level
Low

Low time pressure. Work pace is typically steady and self-directed.

What Is the Job Outlook for Farm and Home Management Educators?

The BLS projects -2.5% employment change for Farm and Home Management Educators through 2034, a declining trend, below the national average of +5%. About 1,100 openings per year keep the field accessible to new entrants.

↘ -2.5%
10-Year Growth (2024–2034)

Declining employment projected.

1,100
Annual Openings

New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.

8K
Currently Employed

Total US employment as of BLS May 2024.

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024.

Where the Jobs Are

The five states below employ the most Farm and Home Management Educators professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $60,220 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.

# State Jobs Median Wage vs. National
1 Florida 2,900 $56,610 -6.0%
2 North Carolina 750 $62,570 +3.9%
3 Wisconsin 670 $58,640 -2.6%
4 Virginia 600 $62,960 +4.5%
5 Texas 480 $34,110 -43.4%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →

How to Get Here

Most Farm and Home Management Educators positions require a master's degree to qualify. The 10 programs below are the most common academic pathways into this field, ranked by how many graduates they produce each year.

Master's degree
Zone 5: Extensive Preparation

Extensive education (usually a master's or doctoral degree) plus years of field experience is required to qualify for most positions.


Degree Programs That Lead Here

# Program Graduates/yr 4yr Median Colleges
1 Human Development 40,263 $48,568 1,057
2 Animal Sciences 8,396 $49,634 157
3 Agricultural Business and Management 8,085 $66,647 380
4 Nutrition Sciences 5,514 $60,053 169
5 Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business 3,932 $58,494 286
6 Agricultural Production Operations 3,522 $53,588 283
7 Plant Sciences 3,307 $56,567 157
8 Apparel & Textiles 2,961 $57,640 135
9 Family & Consumer Sciences 2,454 $48,460 119
10 Family and Consumer Economics 1,208 $53,262 32

Top Colleges for Aspiring Farm and Home Management Educators

Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.

# College UCD Score Net Price Salary 10yr
1 University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA 93 $12,470 $84,943
2 University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 93 $13,481 $92,446
3 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 93 $6,541 $71,588
4 North Florida College Madison, FL 91 $804 $33,929
5 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 91 $13,138 $83,648
6 University of Chicago Chicago, IL 91 $14,860 $91,885

Plan Your Path

Once you've sized up Farm and Home Management Educators, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.

Farm and Home Management Educators Pros & Cons

Farm and Home Management Educators has real financial strengths, but declining employment projections deserve careful consideration. The 1 upsides and 2 concerns below are all data-sourced.

PROS
  • Competitive salary $60,220 median wage puts this career near or above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
CONS
  • Declining employment The BLS projects -2.5% employment change through 2034. This field is expected to shrink. Automation, offshoring, or structural industry change are likely factors.
  • High education requirement Most employers require a master's degree, typically 6 to 10+ years of higher education before earning full wages. Factor tuition costs into your ROI calculation.

Farm and Home Management Educators Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Farm and Home Management Educators professionals earn?
The national median annual wage for Farm and Home Management Educators is $60,220, near the national median for full-time workers. The middle 50% of earners fall between $46,990 and $73,130. Pay varies by employer size, industry sector, specialization, and geography. National figures are a starting point, not a guarantee.
Is Farm and Home Management Educators a good career?
With realistic expectations. The BLS projects -2.5% employment change through 2034. This field is shrinking, not expanding. The $60,220 median wage is competitive, but most openings come from retirements and exits rather than new positions. If you're drawn to this work, differentiate through a specialized niche or adjacent certification that keeps you relevant as the broader field contracts.
How long does it take to become a Farm and Home Management Educators?
Plan on 8 to 12 or more years of combined education and supervised training before qualifying for career-level roles. A master's degree is the typical minimum credential. Degree programs like Human Development are typical entry paths. Early-career pay during this ramp-up period will be meaningfully below the $60,220 national median. Factor that gap into any program ROI calculation.
Is a master's degree worth it to become a Farm and Home Management Educators?
It depends heavily on program cost. At $60,220 median, expensive graduate school debt can take 20 or more years to recover. In-state public schools, employer-sponsored programs, or income-driven repayment make the strongest case. School choice (specifically tuition cost and your expected local job market) matters as much as the credential itself.
Why are Farm and Home Management Educators jobs declining?
The BLS projects -2.5% employment change for Farm and Home Management Educators through 2034. Declining occupations typically face some combination of automation, industry consolidation, offshoring, or reduced consumer demand, rarely a single cause. Despite the overall decline, about 1,100 openings per year are still projected, mostly replacements for workers who retire or leave, not new positions. 8K people currently work in this field, so while it's contracting, active hiring still occurs. Specialization in high-value segments of the role gives the strongest protection.
What skills do Farm and Home Management Educators professionals need?
O*NET data identifies the core skills employers consistently prioritize for Farm and Home Management Educators roles: Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Social Perceptiveness. These develop through formal education and hands-on work. Programs with internship or co-op requirements give you a meaningful head start on the ones that take time to build.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.