Agricultural Careers
Adapted from:
Source: GlenRoseArkansasFFA.org
Author: Mrs. White, Lee-Davis High School Agricultural Instructor
Agricultural Workforce
• Approximately 21 Million People are
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Employed in an Agricultural Career
20% Of Agricultural Careers Require a
College Education
Less than 2% actually farm
400Thousand people are needed each
year to fill positions in the Agriculture
Industry
Only 100 Thousand jobs are being
filled each year by trained people
Yearly Employment Opportunities for
College Graduates in Agriscience
7%
9%
34%
7%
13%
29%
34% - Marketing, Merchandising, & Sales Representatives
29% - Scientists, Engineers, & Related Professionals
13% - Managers & Financial Specialists
7% - Agricultural Production Specialists
9% - Social Services Professionals
7% - Education & Communication Specialists
Production Agriculture
• Less than 10% of All Agricultural
Careers
• Production Agriculture is defined as
Farming and Ranching.
• It involves the growing and marketing
of field crops and livestock
• U.S. Farmers produce enough food and
fiber to feed 135 people, large farm
operations can feed over 200 people.
Types of Agricultural
Production Jobs
• Cattle Rancher
• Diversified Crop Farmer
• Diversified Livestock
Producer
• Farm Manager
• Many Others
Cattle Rancher
Selects, purchases, and raises cattle on leased or
owned land for purpose of selling offspring
Knowledge Requirements:
Cattle industry including cattle prices, quality and
markets. Nutrition, reproduction, and animal
health are also important areas.
Salary:
$15,000 - $150,000 to unlimited - income varies
greatly upon quantity of cattle and extent of
operation.
Diversified Crop Farmer
• Crop Farming workers plant, cultivate and
harvest crops of fruits, fiber, grains, or
vegetables.
• May raise one specialty crop or diversified
crops, they often produce several different
types of crops simultaneously
• Salary:
– $15,000 - $90,000 – unlimited - depends on
crop
Diversified Livestock Producer
• Diversified livestock producers breed and
raise livestock of various types.
• Skills Necessary:
– Organized
– Computer skills and basic business knowledge
– Willing to work independently
– Enjoy working outside in all kinds of weather
• Salary: $20,000 - $35,000 - unlimited
Farm Manager
• Organize and Analyze farm resources, finances,
and problems
• Develop solutions and plans for future farm
enterprises
• Make daily farming decisions related to crops,
machinery and labor
• Salary:
– $15,000 – $38,000 - $100,000 plus
– depends on size and varies greatly from year to
year
Communication and Education
Specialist Careers
• Agriculture Teacher
• Agricultural Extension
Specialist
• Agricultural Journalist
• Agricultural Lawyer
Louisiana Agriscience Teacher
• Develop program, curriculum and activities
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related to agriculture
Job Availability: Steady
Working Conditions: Indoors in classroom,
outdoors with experiments and hands-on
activities
Salary: $ 38,000 - $ 75, 000
Some agriscience teachers farm or operate
other businesses to produce additional
income
Agricultural Extension
Specialist
• Organize and conducts cooperative extension
program to advise and instruct youth, farmers and
individuals engaged in agribusiness applications
of agricultural research findings.
• Salary: $35,000 - $65,000
• Some extension agents farm or operate other
businesses to produce additional income
• Skill Necessary:
– Strong interest in helping others
– Excellent communication skills
Agricultural Lawyer
• Focus on the law as it applies to the Agricultural
Industry
• Necessary Skills:
– Proficiency in writing and speaking, reading,
researching, and analyzing
– Able to think on your feet
– Good reasoning ability
• Salary:
– $40,000 - $120,000
Managers and Financial
Specialist
• Agricultural Consultant
• Agricultural Economist
Agricultural Consultant
• Audits and appraises agricultural business
and makes suggestions on improvements
• Salary: $26,000 - $52,000 or more
• Education Requirements:
– Bachelor’s degree in agricultural business or
agricultural education
Agricultural Economist
• Studies data and statistics in order to spot
trends in economic activity, economic
confidence levels and consumer attitudes
• Salary: $40,000 - $62,000 or more
• Skills Necessary:
– Accuracy
– Good Communication Skills
– Ability to Work Independently
Marketing, Merchandising, &
Sales Representatives
• Agricultural Chemical Dealer
• Animal Health's Products
Representatives
• Agricultural Equipment Dealer
Agricultural Chemical Dealer
• Serves the farming community by providing
chemicals used in farm situations.
• Knowledge of chemical uses warning and disposal
methods is necessary
• Salary: $ 30,000 - $58,000 or more
• Education Requirements:
– College degree helpful but not required
– Sales experience needed
– Knowledge of Chemical regulations
– Pesticide License
Animal Health Products
Representatives
• Develops sales and marketing strategies for
selling animal health products
• Salary: $ 22,000 – 62,000
• Necessary Skills:
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Communicating effectively
Enjoy Traveling
Goal Oriented
Problem Solving
Scientists, Engineers and
Related Specialists
• Agricultural Construction Engineer
• Animal Breeder
• Artificial Breeding Technician
Agricultural Construction
Engineer
• Designs and contracts agricultural structures
such as mills, fertilizer plants, barns, etc.
• Salary: $35,000 - $65,000 or more
• Education Required:
– Master’s degree preferred in agriculture
engineering.
Animal Breeder
• Breed and raise animals to improve traits, to
develop new breeds, or to maintain
standards of existing breeds
• Salary: $18,000 - $55,000 or more
• Necessary Skills:
– Organized
– Reliable and be able to follow detailed
instructions
Artificial Breeding Technician
• Assists in collecting and maintaining semen,
identifying appropriate times to inseminate
(deposits sperm) female and the actual
insemination process
• Salary: $30,000 - $55,000 or more
• Education Requirements:
– Technical school or a college degree
– Specialized training in artificial insemination
techniques
Other Professionals
• Foreign Affairs Officials
• Food and Drug Inspector
Foreign Affairs Officials
• Foreign affairs officials assist in planning
and implementing foreign affairs program
which secure the interests of the country
while promoting agriculture
• Salary: $28,000 - $100,000 or more
• Working Conditions:
– Travel frequently and work out of an office
building
Food and Drug Inspector
• Food and Drug inspector impose federal and state
grading standards on food and drug products for
the purpose of ensuring consumer safety and fair
pricing
• Salary: $35,000 - $65,000 or more
• Necessary Skills:
– Like detailed work
– Responsible
– Good oral and written communication
Agricultural Equipment Dealer
• Farm equipment dealer sell and service
farm machinery and equipment
• Salary: $28,000 - $75,000 or more
• Education Requirements:
– Bachelor’s degree with emphasis on agriculture
and business.
– High School courses in agriculture, business
and mechanics
Agricultural Journalist
• Gather, write, edit and report news articles that are
published in agricultural magazines, newspapers,
journals or broadcast on radio or television.
• Salary: $20,000 - $55,000
• Education Required:
– Bachelor’s Degree in journalism,
communications, English or political science.
High School classes in agriculture, journalism,
media, computers, and business
How to Start Planning for an
Agricultural Career?
• Develop an Agricultural Career
Portfolio
– A collection of your best work on
agricultural projects and other
career-related materials
– The portfolio is used to sell your
skills to a prospective employers
What to include in your
Portfolio?
• Resume
• Photographs and written reports of projects
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that you have complete
Newspaper clippings
Letters of Recommendation
Personal and Career Goals
Action Plan for accomplishing your goals
How you can start planning at
different levels?
• Middle School Career Plan:
– Develop science projects with plants, animals,
soil, water, energy, ecology, conservation, and
wildlife
– Join 4-H and FFA, choose agricultural career
projects
– Volunteer to work on lawn, garden,
greenhouses, farm or conservation projects
– Enroll in agriculture or other career education
projects at school
• High School
• Enroll in agriculture classes
• Enroll in college – preparatory courses in
English, math and science if appropriate
• Join 4-H and FFA organization and participate
in leadership and citizenship activities
• Develop a broad, supervised agricultural
experience project
• Acquire hands-on, skill-development experience
• Conduct agricultural research project
• Career Plan After High School
• Obtain an agricultural job and plan ways
to get additional training while on the job
• Enter college or enter a community
college and take courses that will transfer
to a college of agriculture of your choice
• Enter a two-year program in technical
agriculture
• Enter a college of agriculture or life
science and obtain a bachelor degree
(B.S.), master degree (M.S.), and/ or
doctorate (Ph.D)
Where to Obtain Agriculture
Career Information?
www.ffa.org
• Look for the Career Center under the Site
Index.
If agriculture is in your future ……
It is never to early to plan for your
personal career success.