Precision Agriculture Technicians: 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.
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The Daily Work of Precision Agriculture Technicians Do?
Typical responsibilities of precision agriculture technicians span:
- Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
- Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
- 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.
- Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
- Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
- Create, layer, and analyze maps showing precision agricultural data, such as crop yields, soil characteristics, input applications, terrain, drainage patterns, or field management history.
- Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
- Analyze geospatial data to determine agricultural implications of factors such as soil quality, terrain, field productivity, fertilizers, or weather conditions.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective precision agriculture technicians combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Precision Agriculture Technicians Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Agriculture Specialist
- Agriculture Technician (Agriculture Tech)
- Agrintelligence Specialist (Agriculture Intelligence Specialist)
- Agronomist
- Agronomy Consultant
- Agronomy Specialist
- Certified Crop Specialist
- Crop Consultant
How Many Precision Agriculture Technicians Are There?
There are about 156,518 precision agriculture technicians working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +6.9% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Precision Agriculture Technicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $56,932 |
| Hourly median | $27.37 |
| 10th percentile | $38,211 |
| 25th percentile | $47,572 |
| 75th percentile | $66,293 |
| 90th percentile | $75,654 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Arizona | $63,340 |
| Wyoming | $60,490 |
| California | $58,330 |
| West Virginia | $55,560 |
| Minnesota | $55,190 |
| Colorado | $51,380 |
| Montana | $51,170 |
| Tennessee | $51,170 |
| Florida | $49,280 |
| Delaware | $49,030 |
| North Carolina | $48,910 |
| Mississippi | $48,790 |
| Kentucky | $48,780 |
| Maine | $48,150 |
| Texas | $48,120 |
| Maryland | $47,890 |
| Utah | $47,840 |
| New York | $46,890 |
| Washington | $46,710 |
| Hawaii | $46,670 |
| Missouri | $46,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,410 |
| Nevada | $46,050 |
| Georgia | $46,040 |
| Indiana | $45,940 |
| New Jersey | $45,810 |
| Wisconsin | $45,380 |
| North Dakota | $44,540 |
| Ohio | $44,310 |
| Arkansas | $43,950 |
| Kansas | $43,780 |
| Idaho | $43,480 |
| Nebraska | $42,420 |
| Illinois | $41,580 |
| South Carolina | $41,360 |
| New Hampshire | $40,730 |
| Vermont | $39,940 |
| Iowa | $39,330 |
| Oklahoma | $39,160 |
| Oregon | $39,150 |
| South Dakota | $38,650 |
| Virginia | $38,100 |
| Michigan | $37,960 |
| Alabama | $32,390 |
| Louisiana | $32,000 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for precision agriculture technicians differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $54,813 | 30.4% | 1.80 |
| Middle Atlantic | $47,519 | 4.1% | 0.92 |
| New England | $46,088 | 1.4% | 1.85 |
| Rocky Mountains | $45,953 | 5.9% | 5.68 |
| Southeast | $45,695 | 17.3% | 1.22 |
| Southwest | $45,560 | 1.6% | 0.18 |
| Plains States | $44,694 | 27.4% | 5.01 |
| Great Lakes | $43,197 | 12.1% | 1.03 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $67,960 | 460 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | AZ | $63,340 | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | FL | $62,340 | 60 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | IL | $61,170 | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $60,930 | 440 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | CA | $60,230 | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | IN | $60,000 | 60 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $59,750 | 190 |
Which Industries Hire Precision Agriculture Technicians
The largest employers of precision agriculture technicians are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4,990 | $45,070 |
| Educational Services | 3,950 | $50,650 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,450 | $45,890 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,080 | $40,420 |
| Manufacturing | 850 | $45,810 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 420 | $46,260 |
| Retail Trade | 270 | $43,500 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 110 | $44,900 |
Below are examples of industries where precision agriculture technicians work:
Tools and Technology
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for precision agriculture technicians reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Freedom to Make Decisions
How to Become Precision Agriculture Technicians
Typical precision agriculture technicians positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers (Primary-Long)
- Data Scientists (Supplemental)
- Agricultural Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Industrial Engineers (Supplemental)
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
- Food Scientists and Technologists (Supplemental)
- Soil and Plant Scientists (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Aspiring precision agriculture technicians typically earn programs in:
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
8 programs across 5 majors
- Animal Science
- General Agriculture
- Plant Sciences
- Soil Sciences
- Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-4012.01 (Agricultural Technicians).
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