What Does it Take to Be an Agricultural Equipment Operator?
Agricultural Equipment Operator Job Description Drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops. May perform tasks, such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks, such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.
List of Agricultural Equipment Operator Job Duties
- Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
- Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals.
- Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.
- Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops.
- Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.
- Guide products on conveyors to regulate flow through machines, and to discard diseased or rotten products.
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What Every Agricultural Equipment Operator Should Know
Agricultural Equipment Operators state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Related Job Titles
- Cultivator
- Grain Thresher
- Tobacco Primer Machine Operator
- Corn Detasseler Machine Operator
- Thresher
Job Outlook for Agricultural Equipment Operators
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 63,900 jobs in the United States for Agricultural Equipment Operator. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,500 new jobs for Agricultural Equipment Operator by 2026. The BLS estimates 10,200 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Agricultural Equipment Operator are Colorado, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Watch out if you plan on working in South Carolina, Florida, or Delaware. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of an Agricultural Equipment Operator
The salary for Agricultural Equipment Operators ranges between about $20,890 and $46,550 a year.
Agricultural Equipment Operators who work in Michigan, New York, or North Dakota, make the highest salaries.
How much do Agricultural Equipment Operators make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $26,010 |
| Arizona | $32,670 |
| Arkansas | $26,150 |
| California | $32,180 |
| Colorado | $32,890 |
| Florida | $28,420 |
| Georgia | $26,860 |
| Idaho | $32,910 |
| Illinois | $36,260 |
| Indiana | $35,030 |
| Iowa | $37,100 |
| Kansas | $33,990 |
| Kentucky | $32,570 |
| Louisiana | $33,160 |
| Maryland | $28,560 |
| Massachusetts | $29,480 |
| Michigan | $39,640 |
| Minnesota | $37,310 |
| Mississippi | $37,410 |
| Missouri | $34,240 |
| Montana | $29,630 |
| Nebraska | $39,020 |
| New Jersey | $24,560 |
| New Mexico | $33,750 |
| New York | $37,430 |
| North Carolina | $27,440 |
| North Dakota | $39,760 |
| Ohio | $37,420 |
| Oklahoma | $29,390 |
| Oregon | $31,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,370 |
| South Carolina | $34,940 |
| South Dakota | $38,780 |
| Tennessee | $33,520 |
| Texas | $27,240 |
| Utah | $29,720 |
| Vermont | $31,050 |
| Virginia | $33,030 |
| Washington | $34,900 |
| Wisconsin | $37,420 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Agricultural Equipment Operators
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Agricultural Equipment Operators may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Access
How do I Become an Agricultural Equipment Operator?
Individuals working as an Agricultural Equipment Operator have obtained the following education levels:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Who Employs Agricultural Equipment Operators?
Agricultural Equipment Operators work in the following industries:
References:
Image Credit: Alandmanson via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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