Agricultural
Careers
Presented by:
Marie O. Bolt
Anderson V Career Campus
Agricultural Instructor
Agricultural Workforce
Approximately 22 Million People are
Employed in an Agricultural Career
20% Of Agricultural Careers Require
a College Education
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
1/5 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 155 people
Types of Agricultural
Production Jobs
Cattle Rancher
Diversified Crop Farmer
Diversified Livestock
Producer
Farm Manager
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:
$0 - $ 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:

$0 - $ depends on crop
Diversified Livestock Producer
Diversified livestock producers breed and
raise livestock of various types.
Salary: $0 - $ Unlimited
Necessary Skills
Skills Necessary:
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Organized
Computer skills and basic business
knowledge
Willing to work independently
Enjoy working outside in all kinds of weather
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
Perform any necessary farm task (work)
Salary:
 $15,000 – $ Unlimited, depends on size and
varies greatly from year to year
Communication and Education
Specialist Careers
Agriculture Teacher
Agricultural Extension
Specialist
Agricultural Journalist
Agricultural Lawyer
Agriculture Teacher
Develop program, curriculum and activities
related to agriculture for youth adults and
graduates
Job Availability: Steady
Working Conditions: Indoors in classroom,
outdoors with experiments and hands-on
activities
Salary: $ 20,000 - $ 65,000
Agricultural Extension Specialist
Organize and conduct cooperative
extension program to advise and instruct
farmers and individuals engaged in
agribusiness applications of agricultural
research findings.
Salary: $22,000 - $60,000
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, speaking, reading,
researching, and analyzing
 Able to think on your feet
 Good reasoning ability
Salary:
 $40,000 - $ Unlimited
Managers and Financial
Specialist
Agricultural Consultant
Agricultural Economist
Agricultural Consultant
Audits and appraises agricultural business
and makes suggestions on improvements
Salary: $26,000 - $ Unlimited
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 - $100,000
Skills Necessary:
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Accuracy
Good Communication Skills
Ability to Work Independently
Marketing, Merchandising, &
Sales Representatives
Agricultural Chemical Dealer
Animal Health 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: $ 21,000 - $75,000
Education Requirements:
 College degree helpful but not required
 Sales experience needed
 Knowledge of Chemical regulations
 Pesticide License
Animal Health’s Products
Representatives
Develops sales and marketing strategies
for selling animal health products
Salary: $ 22,000 – $100,000
Necessary Skills:
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Communicating effectively
Enjoy Traveling
Goal Oriented
Problem Solving
Scientists, Engineers and
Related Specialists
Animal Scientist
Agricultural Construction Engineer
Animal Breeder
Artificial Breeding Technician
Animal Scientist
Research and Development
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Medicine
Animal Medicine, Dewormers, etc
Human replacement parts (heart valve, etc)
Uses of animal by-products
Salary: $25,000 to $ Unlimited
Education Required: Bachelor of Science
Agricultural Construction
Engineer
Designs and contracts agricultural
structures such as mills, fertilizer plants,
barns, etc.
Salary: $26,000 - $ Unlimited
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 - $ Unlimited
Necessary Skills:
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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: $23,000 - $36,000
Education Requirements:
 Technical school or a college degree
 Specialized training in artificial
insemination techniques
Social Service Professionals
Foreign Affairs Officials
Food and Drug Inspector
Foreign Food/Farming Training
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 - $75,000
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: $25,000 - $65,000
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
Education Requirements:
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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 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:
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Develop science projects with plants, animals,
soil, water, energy, ecology, conservation,
and wildlife
Join 4-H and choose agricultural 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 including plant
science, animal science, agricultural
mechanics, agribusiness and farm
management
Enroll in college – preparatory courses in
English, math and science
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 a community college and take
courses that will transfer to the
college of agriculture or life science 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
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.