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Agricultural Mechanization

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 01.0201 - 01.0299.

Types of Degrees Agricultural Mechanization Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Agricultural Mechanization may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	272
Associate’s Degree	587
Bachelor’s Degree	248
Master’s Degree	266

What Agricultural Mechanization Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Agricultural Mechanization build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Agricultural Mechanization graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Agricultural Mechanization emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Agricultural Mechanization program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Agricultural Mechanization careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Agricultural Mechanization graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Agricultural Mechanization professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Agricultural Mechanization graduates include:

• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Faculty Member
• Field Mechanic
• Machinery Mechanic
• Mechanic
• Dairy Equipment Installer
• Tractor Trailer Mechanic
• Pea Viner Mechanic
• Farm Equipment Technician (Farm Equipment Tech)
• Irrigation Pump Installer
• Dairy Service Technician (Dairy Service Tech)

What Can You Do With a Agricultural Mechanization Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Agricultural Mechanization commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Agricultural Equipment Operators	0.8%	$25,669	$22,000–$29,800

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Agricultural Mechanization graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	34.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	18.8%
Doctoral degree	17.1%
Post-doctoral training	8.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.7%
Master’s degree	4.8%
Some college courses	3.4%
Less than a high school diploma	3.1%
Bachelor’s degree	2.0%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Agricultural Mechanization?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 91.5% of Agricultural Mechanization degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	117	8.5%
Men	1,261	91.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Agricultural Mechanization graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,006	73.0%
Asian	23	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	261	18.9%
Black or African American	11	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	35	2.5%
Race Unknown	23	1.7%
International Students	5	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Agricultural Mechanization Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Agricultural Mechanization graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$55,065
4 years	$59,906
5 years	$65,945

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,945 — roughly 20% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Agricultural Mechanization Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Agricultural Mechanization graduates earn a median of $59,906 four years after completion — roughly 58% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Agriculture Ag Operations	53,204
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians	9,051
Agricultural Business and Management	8,612
Animal Sciences	8,295
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	4,164
Veterinary Medicine	3,756
Agricultural Production Operations	3,608
Plant Sciences	3,261
Food Science and Technology	2,269
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services	1,424
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences	1,077
Agricultural Public Services	975

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.