Agricultural Equipment Operators
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
The work is running tractors, combines, irrigation systems, and other farm machines through tilling, planting, cultivating, and harvest. Operators hitch implements such as plows, discs, and sprayers, mix seeds or chemical solutions into the machines, and load or unload crops with conveyors, forklifts, or by hand. They listen and watch for signs that equipment is failing, then adjust, service, or repair it and flag bigger problems to a supervisor. Time is spent outdoors on farms and fields, and sometimes on stationary machines that husk, shell, or thresh after harvest. It suits people who like controlling machinery, spotting faults early, and doing hands-on upkeep.
Typical education: Less than a High School Diploma
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$41'730
Median Wage Market Position
$41'730
What you might do
- Drive tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment
- Hitch plows, discs, or harvesters onto tractors
- Load crops onto trucks with forklifts or augers
- Mix chemicals and dump them into planters or sprayers
- Spray fertilizer or pesticide to control pests
- Listen for machine trouble and service the equipment
Skills that matter
- Control of tractors, combines, and irrigation
- Listening for signs of machine trouble
- Upkeep that prevents equipment breakdowns
- Hitching plows and harvesters to tractors
- Mixing of seeds, powders, or sprays
- Adjusting machine settings during field work
AI & the future of this role
Guided and autonomous machinery may take over more of the straight-line planting and harvesting passes over time. Operators still matter for setup, maintenance, field troubleshooting, and adapting to uneven ground or weather that automation handles poorly.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details