Agricultural Technicians
Life, Physical, and Social Science
The day-to-day work sits between the farm and the lab. Land is prepared and crops are tended — plowing, weeding, pruning, harvesting — and farm machines such as tractors, sprayers, and combines are part of that. Samples come from plants or animals and are checked for disease or other problems; equipment is set up for field or laboratory tests, and results are recorded for the scientists leading the research. Facilities and tools have to be kept working and clean. It suits people who like physical, outdoor work mixed with careful record-keeping, and who are comfortable both on machinery and with specimens.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$49'630
Median Wage Market Position
$49'630
What you might do
- Collect samples from crops or animals
- Check plants or animals for disease and other problems
- Record data from experiments and animal care
- Set up lab or field equipment for tests
- Prepare fields, orchards, or vineyards for planting
- Operate and repair farm machinery and tools
Skills that matter
- Operating tractors and farm machinery
- Collecting crop and animal samples
- Checking plants and animals for disease
- Records of experiments and animal care
- Setup of lab and field equipment
- Repair of tools and farm facilities
AI & the future of this role
Field sampling, lab protocols, and hands-on animal or crop work remain hard to automate fully. Sensors and software may take over more logging and routine analysis, yet on-site technique and careful observation still tend to matter.
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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