Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 1,500 people employed as agricultural engineers in the United States. The median annual salary is $84,400. Entry level employees earn approximately $51,160 per year and senior employees earn approximately $166,620 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.
• Discuss plans with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers so that they can be evaluated and necessary changes made.
• Meet with clients, such as district or regional councils, farmers, and developers, to discuss their needs.
• Provide advice on water quality and issues related to pollution management, river control, and ground and surface water resources.
• Plan and direct construction of rural electric-power distribution systems, and irrigation, drainage, and flood control systems for soil and water conservation.
• Design agricultural machinery components and equipment, using computer-aided design (CAD) technology.
• Test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance.
• Design food processing plants and related mechanical systems.
• Visit sites to observe environmental problems, to consult with contractors, or to monitor construction activities.
• Design structures for crop storage, animal shelter and loading, and animal and crop processing, and supervise their construction.
• Design and supervise environmental and land reclamation projects in agriculture and related industries.
• Design sensing, measuring, and recording devices, and other instrumentation used to study plant or animal life.
• Conduct educational programs that provide farmers or farm cooperative members with information that can help them improve agricultural productivity.
• Supervise food processing or manufacturing plant operations.

Career List