What Do Agricultural Equipment Operator Do?

Agricultural Equipment Operator Example 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

• Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops.
• Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.
• Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.
• Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.
• Position boxes or attach bags at discharge ends of machinery to catch products, removing and closing full containers.
• Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.

Skills Needed to be an Agricultural Equipment Operator

Below is a list of the skills most Agricultural Equipment Operators say are important on the job.

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 for this Occupation:

• Corn Husker Machine Operator
• Truck Driver
• Grain Combine Driver
• Baler
• Cotton Stripper

Job Demand for Agricultural Equipment Operators

In the United States, there were 63,900 jobs for Agricultural Equipment Operator in 2016. 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.

How Much Does an Agricultural Equipment Operator Make?

Agricultural Equipment Operators make between $20,890 and $46,550 a year.

Agricultural Equipment Operators who work in Michigan, New York, or North Dakota, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Agricultural Equipment Operators in different U.S. states.

Tools & Technologies Used by Agricultural Equipment Operators

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Agricultural Equipment Operators:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Access

How do I Become an Agricultural Equipment Operator?

Are there Agricultural Equipment Operators education requirements?

What work experience do I need to become an Agricultural Equipment Operator?

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Alandmanson via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

More about our data sources and methodologies.