Livestock agents are specialists who help farmers to buy and sell livestock. Agents also provide advice on animal nutrition, breeding, and other viewpoints on managing livestock. Livestock agents work closely with livestock buyers, sellers, and auctioneers. Let’s learn about ‘Salaries For Livestock Agents’.
Salaries For Livestock Agents
They also provide advice on livestock management and handle the logistics for transportation and storage. Livestock agents are also responsible for ensuring that animals are transported in a safe, humane, and legal manner. The skills required by a livestock agent include strong communication skills, the ability to work with people, and knowledge of animal care. Let’s find out how much they earn on yearly basis in the US.
In the US, on average a livestock agent earns $ $55,081. Apart from the basic salary of $54,023, they also make a bonus consisting of 2% of their salary on average which becomes almost $ $1,058. In San Francisco, a livestock agent earns the highest average of $ $67,071 which is almost 22% higher than the rest of the US. Individual salary aggregating data websites reveal that yearly wages are as high as $110,000 and as low as $16,500.
Source of Employment of Livestock Agents
A livestock agent is a person who assists in the buying and selling of live animals. The agent must be knowledgeable about both the animals and the laws that govern their trade. Agents are typically employed by meat packers, animal-feed manufacturers, or farmers. Some agents work independently and others have their businesses.
Salaries of Livestock Agent
The bulk of Livestock Agent salaries presently ranges between $33,000 (25th percentile) and $70,000 (75th percentile), with top earners (90th percentile) making $100,000.
Factors Deciding Salaries of Livestock Agents
Factors that affect the salaries of Livestock Agents include the following:
High School Diploma
When employers know that the base of the person is strong in their relevant field then they willingly pay a good amount as salary because they know that the base knowledge of the hired employee will also help in taking their business to a rising level. The base gets strong with the help of a high school diploma.
A diploma from high school is the least qualification for working as a livestock agent. High school knowledge of biology, math, animal science, and business helps to get ready for a career in this sector. However, this sole factor is not sufficient enough to grab a handsome amount as a salary. This brings salary change in the range of $1000 and $1500 per year.
Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy
Gaining a degree can assist agents in learning more about agricultural procedures and in developing abilities, such as business management, that will help them succeed as livestock agents. The majority of livestock agents decide to pursue an agronomy degree because it is mostly demanded by employers. This brings salary change in the range of $1500 and $2000 per year.
Skills development
The desire for skills development helps the employer in identifying the growth potential and capabilities of the hired agent. The livestock agents must develop their communication, interpersonal, research, negotiation, and decision-making skills. Employers also consider the hired agent’s urge for skills development in deciding increments on yearly basis. Livestock agents can expect an increment variation of 5-10% based on their skills only in this field.
Experience in the field
There exists a correlation between salary increases and the experience you have gained in your field. The longer your work experience is, the longer the expected salary as a livestock agent.
| Level of experience | Expected Salary |
| Less than 1 year (Entry-level) | $42,000 |
| 1 to 4 years (Early career) | $47,000 |
| 5 to 9 years (Mid-career) | $56,600 |
| 10 to 19 years (Experienced) | $63,000 |
| 20 + years(Late career) | $70,000 |
Location
Livestock agents play a key role in the industry, which is why their salary varies a lot depending on where they work and what their responsibilities are. Salaries of livestock agents in the top five states (salary-wise) are as follows:
New Jersey
The average livestock agent’s gross salary in New Jersey is $67,373 which is 19% higher ($10,907) when compared with livestock agent salary in the United States. It is equivalent to an hourly rate of $32. The average bonus is $1,321 for livestock agents in New Jersey. The agent with 1-3 years of experience can earn an average salary of $49,349. A senior-level livestock agent can earn an average salary of $82,385.
Tennessee
The annual salary for a livestock agent in Tennessee, on average, is $59,925. That comes out to about $28.81 an hour, $4,993 per month, or $1,152 per week.
While salaries for Livestock Agents range from $32,757 (25th percentile) to $69,486 (75th percentile), with top earners (90th percentile) making $99,266 annually in Tennessee, salaries are as high as $109,194 and as low as $16,379 for the position.
Massachusetts
The average annual salary for a livestock agent in Massachusetts is $58,343, which comes out to about $28.05 per hour, $4,861 per month, or $1,121 per week.
Livestock Agent salaries currently range between $35,470 (25th percentile) and $75,239 (75th percentile), with top earners (90th percentile) making $107,485 annually in Massachusetts, despite research showing salaries as high as $118,233 and as low as $17,735.
Hawaii
The average annual salary for a livestock agent in Hawaii is $50322 which comes out to about $24.19 per hour, $4,193 per month, or $767 per week.
Minnesota
The average annual pay for a Livestock Agent in Minnesota is $58,364 a year. This works out to be approximately $28.06 an hour, $1,122/week, or $4,863/month.
Conclusion
Livestock agent is a profession that has a lot of scope. After the arrival of the internet and digitization, jobs in this field are easier to find. However, it is important to have special skills and training for this field. You need to have a passion for working with animals, excellent communication skills, great attention to detail, and an understanding of animal husbandry if you want to become a livestock agent. The range of salaries for livestock agents throughout the US is satisfactory.
FAQ’s
- What percentage of tax applies to livestock agents?
An estimated average federal tax on the salary of livestock agents would be 22% annually.
- What service do livestock agents give?
Livestock agents help farmers find buyers for their cattle, hogs, and other livestock. Agents also assist with arranging transportation and marketing the products.
- What skills should livestock agents possess?
The livestock agents must develop their communication, interpersonal, research, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
