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Precision Agriculture Technician

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What Do Precision Agriculture Technician Do?

Precision Agriculture Technician Job Description 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.

Life As a Precision Agriculture Technician

  • Recommend best crop varieties or seeding rates for specific field areas, based on analysis of geospatial data.
  • Analyze geospatial data to determine agricultural implications of factors such as soil quality, terrain, field productivity, fertilizers, or weather conditions.
  • Provide advice on the development or application of better boom-spray technology to limit the overapplication of chemicals and to reduce the migration of chemicals beyond the fields being treated.
  • Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing characteristics such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium content, pH, or micronutrients.
  • Analyze remote sensing imagery to identify relationships between soil quality, crop canopy densities, light reflectance, and weather history.
  • Participate in efforts to advance precision agriculture technology, such as developing advanced weed identification or automated spot spraying systems.

Qualities of a Precision Agriculture Technician

Precision Agriculture Technicians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Types of Precision Agriculture Technician

  • Precision Crop Manager
  • Agriculture Technician
  • Precision Farming Coordinator
  • Precision Farming Specialist
  • Precision Agriculture Technician

What Kind of Precision Agriculture Technician Job Opportunities Are There?

In the United States, there were 76,100 jobs for Precision Agriculture Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.7% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 7,400 new jobs for Precision Agriculture Technician by 2026. The BLS estimates 9,900 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Precision Agriculture Technician are Utah, Texas, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Maine, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Precision Agriculture Technician Salary

The typical yearly salary for Precision Agriculture Technicians is somewhere between $29,830 and $80,370.

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Precision Agriculture Technicians who work in Maryland, Connecticut, or Rhode Island, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Precision Agriculture Technicians in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $46,600
Alaska $56,470
Arizona $51,250
Arkansas $50,740
California $56,670
Colorado $51,890
Connecticut $62,090
District of Columbia $61,000
Florida $45,200
Georgia $52,690
Hawaii $57,310
Idaho $42,220
Illinois $51,130
Indiana $51,970
Iowa $46,740
Kansas $51,960
Kentucky $52,340
Louisiana $47,250
Maine $55,220
Maryland $69,500
Massachusetts $63,450
Michigan $43,640
Minnesota $50,440
Mississippi $52,950
Missouri $49,590
Montana $43,930
Nebraska $58,150
Nevada $47,690
New Hampshire $57,990
New Jersey $60,660
New Mexico $59,850
New York $53,380
North Carolina $53,390
North Dakota $52,050
Ohio $52,690
Oklahoma $57,950
Oregon $51,800
Pennsylvania $50,410
Rhode Island $59,480
South Carolina $56,910
South Dakota $45,190
Tennessee $43,440
Texas $54,290
Utah $50,980
Virginia $52,180
Washington $55,920
West Virginia $55,930
Wisconsin $52,500
Wyoming $53,940

Tools & Technologies Used by Precision Agriculture Technicians

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Precision Agriculture Technicians may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Web browser software
  • Microsoft Access
  • ESRI ArcView
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • ESRI ArcPad
  • Ag Leader Technology SMS Advanced
  • John Deere Apex Farm Management
  • MapShots EASi Suite
  • SST Development Group SSToolbox
  • Trimble AgGPS EZ-Map

Becoming a Precision Agriculture Technician

What kind of Precision Agriculture Technician requirements are there?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where Precision Agriculture Technicians Are Employed

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Similar Careers

Career changers with experience as a Precision Agriculture Technician sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: U.S. Department of Energy from United States via public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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