Agricultural Engineers

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources · Power, Structural & Technical Systems

Bright outlookJob zone 4: considerable preparationO*NET 17-2021.00

Pay and outlook shown for

median pay per year, Texas (no San Antonio figure is published for this career)

$81k10th$95kMedian$176k90th

New workers start near $81,330; experienced workers reach $175,760. About 50 people do this job in Texas.

Job outlook

U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.

Employment change: +6%; nationwide
Openings a year: 100; nationwide, from growth and people leaving
Employed in 2024: 1,700; nationwide

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Alamo Colleges programs that lead here

No program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

Browse all programs

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

Reading Comprehension4.6
Active Listening4.1
Writing4.0
Speaking4.0
Complex Problem Solving4.1
Critical Thinking4.0
Judgment and Decision Making4.0
Systems Evaluation4.0

What the work is

Apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agricultural problems concerned with power and machinery, electrification, structures, soil and water conservation, and processing of agricultural products.

Visit sites to observe environmental problems, to consult with contractors, or to monitor construction activities.
Design agricultural machinery components and equipment, using computer-aided design (CAD) technology.
Test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance.
Design structures for crop storage, animal shelter and loading, and animal and crop processing, and supervise their construction.
Provide advice on water quality and issues related to pollution management, river control, and ground and surface water resources.
Conduct educational programs that provide farmers or farm cooperative members with information that can help them improve agricultural productivity.

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

Associate degree5%
Bachelor's degree75%
Master's degree10%
Doctoral or professional10%

Job zone 4, considerable preparation: Usually a bachelor's degree, sometimes a strong associate plus experience.

Does this fit you?

Six questions rank every career here by how closely its interest profile follows yours.

Check my interests