All careersEngineering & science

Agricultural Technician

$49,630
median / year
$35,980 – $76,480
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Set up and support tests involving crops, soil, animals, food, and agricultural equipment.

You may also see this posted as: Agricultural Research Technician (Agricultural Research Tech), Agricultural Technician (Agricultural Tech), Agriculture Assistant, Seed Analyst, Agricultural Research Technologist, Agronomy Research Technician (Agronomy Research Tech).

Where you work

Farms, fields, laboratories, processing plants, and offices.

The hours

Usually full-time; field seasons may bring longer days.

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, discing, leveling, or contouring.
  • Operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks.
  • Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care.
  • Maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness.
  • Perform crop production duties, such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, or harvesting crops.

Good fit if you like…

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

O*NET job zone 3 of 5

Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

DependabilityAttention to DetailPerseveranceIntegrity

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft Word

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$49,630
per year
Hourly median
$23.86
per hour
What most earn
$35,980–$76,480
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~2,900
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+4.3%
About average
Working in the U.S.
15,130
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 5.2% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Associate degree

Training path: Associate degree in agricultural science or technology.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Field samplingLab testingData recordingEquipment use

The honest take

Supports crop, soil, animal, and food research through field sampling, equipment, and laboratory tests.

Standard Occupational Classification 19-4012. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.