Agricultural Engineers

Agricultural Engineers Earnings

Median annual earnings of agricultural engineers were $50,700 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $40,320 and $70,100. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,590, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $87,220.

According to a 2003 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, bachelor's degree candidates in agricultural engineering received starting offers averaging $42,987 a year, and master's degree candidates, on average, were offered $54,000.

Agricultural Engineers Nature of Work

Agricultural engineers apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agriculture. (See biological scientists and agricultural and food scientists elsewhere in the Handbook.) They design agricultural machinery and equipment and agricultural structures. Some specialties include power systems and machinery design; structures and environment; and food and bioprocess engineering. They develop ways to conserve soil and water and to improve the processing of agricultural products. Agricultural engineers work in research and development, production, sales, or management.

Agricultural Engineers Job Outlook

Employment of agricultural engineers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012. The growing interest in worldwide standardization of agricultural equipment should result in increased employment of agricultural engineers. Job opportunities also should result from the increasing demand for agricultural products, the continued efforts for more efficient agricultural production, and the increasing emphasis on the conservation of resources. In addition to those resulting from employment growth, job openings will be created by the need to replace agricultural engineers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

Agricultural Engineers Significant Points

Agricultural Engineers Training

Agricultural Engineers Employment

Agricultural Engineers Related Occupations

Agricultural Engineers Additional Sources

Information on a career as an agricultural engineer can be obtained from:

American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 2950 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659. Internet: http://www.asae.org

See the introduction to the section on engineers for information on working conditions, training requirements, and other sources of additional information.

Agricultural Engineers Summaries of Related Webpages

The lion's share of college graduates (71%) and trade/vocational graduates (48%) choose fields in business and engineering and applied sciences. Women outnumber men. Women post-secondary graduates have steadily increased their representation between 1982 and 1995, particularly at the Bachelor and Master's levels. Most graduates in nursing, education and social sciences are women, while most graduates in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences are men. Unemployment rates for 1995 university and college graduates were about 9 percent two years after graduation.
Summary of: http://www11.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/hrsdc/arb/publications/bulletins/2001-000024/page03.shtml

Although most industrial engineers work in manufacturing industries, they may also work in consulting services, healthcare, and communications. They develop management control systems to aid in financial planning and cost analysis and design production planning and control systems to coordinate activities and ensure product quality. The work of health and safety engineers is similar to that of industrial engineers in that it deals with the entire production process. Historical Earnings Information In 2002, the median salaries earned by industrial engineers annually, were $62,150. The middle 50 percent earned between $50,160 and $75,440 while the lowest 10 percent earned below $40,380.
Summary of: http://www.careeroverview.com/industrial-engineering-careers.html

They develop ways to conserve soil and water and to improve the processing of agricultural products. Agricultural engineers work in research and development, production, sales, or management. The growing interest in worldwide standardization of agricultural equipment should result in increased employment of agricultural engineers. The middle 50 percent earned between $40,320 and $70,100. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,590, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $87,220.
Summary of: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos261.htm

The middle 50 percent earned between $35,770 and $65,990. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,750, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $85,460. A farm that shows a large profit in one year may show a loss in the following year. Farmers, however, often receive government subsidies or other payments that supplement their incomes and reduce some of the risk of farming. The highest paid 10 percent earned more than $81,100, and the lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $24,410.
Summary of: http://www.wscc.cc.tn.us/careerinfo/majors/Agriculture.asp

They work on power-producing machines such as electric generators, internal combustion engines, and steam and gas turbines. Mechanical engineers also design tools that other engineers need for their work. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) are used for design data processing and for turning the design into a product. Mechanical engineers work in many industries, and their work varies by industry and function. Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines.
Summary of: http://www.collegegrad.com/careers/proft17.shtml

They design agricultural machinery and equipment and agricultural structures. They develop ways to conserve soil and water and to improve the processing of agricultural products. Agricultural engineers work in research and development, production, sales, or management. The middle 50 percent earned between $44,220 and $71,460. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,660, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $91,600.
Summary of: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh20022003/ocos261.htm

They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise the manufacture of these products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are called aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are astronautical engineers. They also may specialize in a particular type of aerospace product, such as commercial transports, military fighter jets, helicopters, spacecraft, or missiles and rockets. They design agricultural machinery and equipment and agricultural structures. The highest 10 percent earned more than $87,220.
Summary of: http://www.majorsexplored.com/engineering/about.cfm

Agricultural engineer are responsible for designing agricultural tools and equipment as well as machinery and plants. These engineers can either specialize in designing power and machine systems (for environmental or agricultural purposes) or be involved in food and bioprocess. Soil and water conservation as well as agricultural processing are some of their concerns. The global trend toward standardization of all agricultural products and equipment will lead to greater demand for agricultural engineers. the middle fifty percent got salaries between $40,320 and $70,100 and the lowest 10 percent earned below$35,590.
Summary of: http://www.careeroverview.com/agricultural-engineering-careers.html

Projected employment growth for engineering and natural sciences managers should be closely related to those for the engineers and scientists they supervise and the industries in which they are found. Opportunities will be best for workers with advanced technical knowledge and strong communication and business management skills. These managers use advanced technical knowledge of engineering and science to oversee a variety of activities. To perform effectively, they also must possess knowledge of administrative procedures, such as budgeting, hiring, and supervision. They also supervise the work of these employees, review their output, and establish administrative procedures and policiesÑincluding environmental standards, for example.
Summary of: http://www.collegegrad.com/careers/manag10.shtml