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Agricultural Engineering

Instructional content is defined in code 14.0301.

Types of Degrees Agricultural Engineering Majors Are Earning

Those studying Agricultural Engineering may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	761
Master’s Degree	205
Doctor’s Degree	121

What Agricultural Engineering Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Agricultural Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Agricultural Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Agricultural Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Agricultural Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
PTC Creo Parametric	Computer aided design CAD software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Agricultural Engineering graduates include:

• Architectural Engineering Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Electrical Engineering Professor
• Television Engineering Teacher
• Surveying Teacher
• Chemical Engineering Teacher
• Plastics Engineering Teacher
• Manufacturing Engineering Professor
• Associate Professor
• Highway Engineering Teacher
• Aeronautical Engineering Teacher
• Metallurgical Engineering Teacher
• Electronic Science Teacher
• Ship Construction Teacher
• Engineering Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	39.4%
Bachelor’s degree	19.4%
Post-master’s certificate	12.5%
Master’s degree	12.2%
Post-doctoral training	11.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.5%
First professional degree	1.1%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Agricultural Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 46.1% women and 53.9% men among Agricultural Engineering graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	503	46.1%
Men	587	53.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	631	57.9%
Asian	76	7.0%
Hispanic or Latino	79	7.2%
Black or African American	49	4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	49	4.5%
Race Unknown	22	2.0%
International Students	180	16.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Agricultural Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Agricultural Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$65,329
4 years	$74,666
5 years	$84,503

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $84,503 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Agricultural Engineering Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Agricultural Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Agricultural Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Agricultural Engineering graduates earn a median of $74,666 four years after completion — roughly 96% 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
Engineering	197,615
Mechanical Engineering	42,939
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	26,760
Civil Engineering	20,005
Computer Engineering	19,986
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	13,914
Engineering, General	13,411
Chemical Engineering	10,939
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	9,596
Industrial Engineering	8,533
Systems Engineering	3,956
Engineering, Other	3,529

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.