Money · 1 of 5
What farmers make
Median
$89,900
Starting out
$54,320
Big operation
$160,020
The national median is $89,900 a year, and the bottom tenth start near $54,320. The wage survey lumps farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers into one group, and it mostly counts people who draw a paycheck. Many farm families take whatever the farm profits instead, so a drought year can mean almost nothing.