Mid-Level

Crop or Livestock Tenant Farmer

On rented agricultural land — operating under tenant-farming arrangements with the landowner — you work the land as the operator under a lease or share-crop arrangement, managing the production of crops or livestock under the agreement structure that defines tenant farming.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
E
R
C
I
S
A
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Realistichands-on, practical
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Crop or Livestock Tenant Farmers
Employment concentration · ~33 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Crop or Livestock Tenant Farmer

Tenant farming operates under specific legal-and-economic arrangements with the landowner — cash-rent leases, crop-share arrangements where the landowner takes a portion of the production, or hybrid structures. The tenant farmer manages the production work (crop or livestock), provides the labor and often the equipment, handles the day-to-day operational decisions, and works within the constraints the lease defines. Crop yields, livestock performance, and lease-relationship continuity are the operating measures.

What makes tenant farming distinct is the operator-without-ownership dynamic — the tenant carries operational responsibility and most operational risk without the capital appreciation and long-term security of land ownership, with the lease structure shaping how operational decisions get made. Variance across tenant arrangements is wide: cash-rent leases vs. crop-share, short-term vs. multi-year, single-landowner vs. multiple-landowners.

This role fits people who are agriculturally capable, comfortable with the lease-and-relationship work tenant farming involves, and steady under the financial structure that combines operational risk with non-ownership. AAS or BS in agriculture, farm-management experience, and ongoing CE anchor advancement. The trade-off is the operator-without-ownership economic structure that defines tenant farming and the lease-renewal uncertainty that shapes long-term planning.

IndependenceAbove avg
AchievementModerate
Working ConditionsModerate
RelationshipsModerate
RecognitionModerate
SupportLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Crop or Livestock Tenant Farmers (SOC 11-9013.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Career Growth OptionsAgriculture track →
Also appears in: Business Operations
Exploring the Crop or Livestock Tenant Farmer career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit — and plan your path forward.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$52K–$157K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
6K
U.S. Employment
-1.3%
10yr Growth
86K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$74K$71K$68K$65K$62K201920202021202220232024$62K$74K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingManagement of Personnel ResourcesCoordinationJudgment and Decision MakingSocial PerceptivenessActive Learning
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
11-9013.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.