Precision Agriculture Technicians

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics · Science and Mathematics

Bright outlookJob zone 3: medium preparationO*NET 19-4012.01

Pay and outlook shown for

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

$37k10th$50kMedian$96k90th

New workers start near $37,400; experienced workers reach $95,850. About 120 people do this job in Texas.

Job outlook

U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.

Employment change: +4%; nationwide
Openings a year: 2,900; nationwide, from growth and people leaving
Employed in 2024: 18,600; nationwide

Typical entry education: Associate's degree · Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Alamo Colleges programs that lead here

9 programs, with the college that teaches each.

Apply to Alamo Colleges

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 Comprehension4.0
Active Listening3.9
Critical Thinking3.6
Speaking3.5
Writing3.5
Active Learning3.8
Complex Problem Solving3.3
Monitoring3.5

What the work is

Apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to agricultural production or management activities, such as pest scouting, site-specific pesticide application, yield mapping, or variable-rate irrigation. May use computers to develop or analyze maps or remote sensing images to compare physical topography with data on soils, fertilizer, pests, or weather.

Program farm equipment, such as variable-rate planting equipment or pesticide sprayers, based on input from crop scouting and analysis of field condition variability.
Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
Identify spatial coordinates, using remote sensing and Global Positioning System (GPS) data.
Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.

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.

High school or less9%
Certificate17%
Some college4%
Associate degree30%
Bachelor's degree35%
Master's degree4%

Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.

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