Beekeeping is one of the important agricultural activities involving the breeding and management of honeybees for the production of honey and other bee products. Therefore, as an important and multifunctional activity in the rural economy, beekeeping can play a significant role in strengthening the livelihoods and economic sustainability of rural communities by creating employment and income for rural households, utilizing natural capacities, and producing a variety of products. Despite these potentials, the development of beekeeping is influenced by a range of educational, financial, technological, marketing, and managerial factors. The present study aimed to determine the factors affecting the development of beekeeping in the rural areas of Sarab County. The study is applied in terms of its purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of its methodology. The statistical population consisted of 300 active beekeepers in the rural areas of Sarab County in 2023, from whom 168 were selected as the sample based on Cochran’s formula. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings showed that education and awareness, provision of an appropriate model, access to financial resources, access to modern technology, and marketing and sales of products are among the factors affecting the development of beekeeping in rural areas. The results of the measurement model assessment also indicated acceptable reliability and convergent validity of the study constructs. Accordingly, the development of beekeeping in rural areas requires the simultaneous strengthening of beekeepers’ educational and technical capacities, facilitating access to financial resources, promoting modern technologies, improving marketing and sales mechanisms, and designing management models suited to local conditions. Simultaneous attention to these factors can provide a basis for increasing the productivity, income, and sustainability of beekeeping activities in rural areas.