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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Agricultural Engineers

Part of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, in the Power, Structural & Technical Systems pathway.

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

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.

On a typical day

  • 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.

What it pays

$95,220
Median pay per year, Texas (no San Antonio figure published)
New workers start near $81,330
Experienced workers reach $175,760
  1. $81k10th
  2. $88k25th
  3. $95kMedian
  4. $106k75th
  5. $176k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $81,330, 25th $87,600, Median $95,220, 75th $106,330, 90th $175,760

Job outlook

U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.

+6%

U.S. employment change

100

openings a year nationwide, from growth and people leaving

1,700

employed nationwide in 2024

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

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.

  1. Reading Comprehension4.6
  2. Active Listening4.1
  3. Writing4.0
  4. Speaking4.0
  5. Complex Problem Solving4.1
  6. Critical Thinking4.0
  7. Judgment and Decision Making4.0
  8. Systems Evaluation4.0

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.

  1. Associate degree5%
  2. Bachelor's degree75%
  3. Master's degree10%
  4. Doctoral or professional10%

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

Alamo programs that lead here

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

Browse all programs

Does this fit you?

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

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