Livestock brokers connect buyers and sellers of livestock — matching supply with demand, negotiating terms, and earning commission on the trades.
Workdays involve calls and visits with producers, feedlots, and packers about what's available and what's needed. Market analysis runs throughout — livestock prices move daily on supply, demand, weather, and feed costs.
Collaboration involves producers, buyers, and sometimes auction barns. What's harder than expected is the market knowledge required — livestock prices move daily, and reading them takes years of being in the business. The broker who can't read the market accurately leaves money on the table for both sides.
People who thrive tend to be knowledgeable about livestock, comfortable with travel, and good at relationship-based business. If you're grounded in the industry, the role often fits — livestock brokerage is hard to enter without prior connection. People without rural background usually find the relationships and the market knowledge harder to build than the financial side suggests.
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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.
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View all Business Operations roles →Livestock brokers connect buyers and sellers of livestock — matching supply with demand, negotiating terms, and earning commission on the trades.
Median pay for a Livestock Broker is about $76K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $46K to $128K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Persuasion, and Reading Comprehension.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Closely related roles include Purchasing Agent, Fur Buyer, and Resident Buyer.
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