Agricultural Equipment Operators in California

Get the information you need to know about working as an Agricultural Equipment Operator.

You’re in luck! Jobs for Agricultural Equipment Operators in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Agricultural Equipment Operators in California is growing faster than average.

• Agricultural Equipment Operators in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For an Agricultural Equipment Operator Career?

• Agriculture & Agriculture Operations
• Agricultural Mechanization
• Agricultural Power Machinery Operation

How Many Agricultural Equipment Operators Work in California?

There were approximately 5,740 workers employed as Agricultural Equipment Operators in this state in 2018.

There were 6,540 Agricultural Equipment Operators employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 800 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 395 Agricultural Equipment Operators working in it, which means California has more Agricultural Equipment Operators than average.

Job Projections for California

Jobs for Agricultural Equipment Operators in this state are growing at a rate of 7.6% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 5.5%.

California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 2,790 annual job openings, and a total of 18,400 jobs for California Agricultural Equipment Operators in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 10,200 annual jobs and 67,400 total jobs in 2026.

What do Agricultural Equipment Operators Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Agricultural Equipment Operators ranged from $23,360 to $45,040 with $30,100 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $11.23 to $21.66. The median hourly rate was $14.47.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $13.91 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.56.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

Explore Best Ranked Schools for You

Top California Metros for Agricultural Equipment Operators

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Agricultural Equipment Operators.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Salinas, CA	540	$31,020
Fresno, CA	530	$25,590
Bakersfield, CA	510	$29,600
Modesto, CA	510	$30,070
Visalia-Porterville, CA	460	$29,730
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA	360	$35,650
El Centro, CA	290	$24,630
Merced, CA	290	$33,940
Napa, CA	260	$38,310
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	100	$28,560
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	80	$37,420
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	60	$37,140
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	40	$27,520

Top States for Agricultural Equipment Operators Employment

View the list below to see where most Agricultural Equipment Operators work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	5,740	$30,100
Texas	2,720	$26,140
Iowa	1,590	$35,430
Illinois	1,330	$35,350
Florida	1,310	$27,840
Kansas	1,130	$33,180
Georgia	990	$27,360
Washington	940	$33,020
Nebraska	870	$36,760
Indiana	840	$35,050
Missouri	730	$31,000
North Carolina	680	$25,530
Wisconsin	680	$35,700
Minnesota	550	$35,560
Arkansas	500	$21,710
Ohio	470	$36,400
Pennsylvania	450	$36,960
Tennessee	400	$35,330
Oklahoma	390	$26,330
Idaho	360	$32,240

Below are the states where Agricultural Equipment Operators get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Michigan	$38,620
New York	$38,220
North Dakota	$37,450
Pennsylvania	$36,960
Nebraska	$36,760
Ohio	$36,400
Wisconsin	$35,700
Minnesota	$35,560
Iowa	$35,430
Illinois	$35,350

Related Careers in California

Discover similar careers:

Occupation	California Employment Total
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse	194,850
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals	2,510

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By Alandmanson under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.