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Agricultural Equipment Operators
Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. 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.
Other titles employers use
Baler Operator · Cutter Operator · Equipment Operator · Farm Equipment Operator · Hay Baler · Loader Operator · Packing Tractor Machine Operator · Rake Operator
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
- Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.
- Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.
- Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.
- Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.
- Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Troubleshooting
- Active Listening
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
Subjects to know
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Control Precision
- Multilimb Coordination
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Far Vision
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.6 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.9 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.2 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 3.4 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Most employers do not ask for a formal credential. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 76%
- A certificate or some college 24%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Spreadsheet software
- Presentation software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Map creation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 18,000
- Job openings each year
- 2,680
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 8.4%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 18,000 | 2,680 | 8.4% |
| Washington | 5,570 | 870 | 6.9% |
| Georgia | 4,380 | 660 | 19.7% |
| Florida | 3,940 | 580 | −2.2% |
| Iowa | 3,570 | 530 | 4.4% |
| Nebraska | 3,510 | 520 | 9.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 3,160 | 470 | 10.9% |
| Texas | 2,910 | 430 | — |
| Illinois | 2,770 | 410 | 6.5% |
| Virginia | 2,600 | 390 | 7.9% |
| Oregon | 2,480 | 370 | 16.4% |
| Alabama | 2,420 | 360 | 8.5% |
| Tennessee | 2,420 | 360 | — |
| Indiana | 2,370 | 350 | 8.7% |
| North Carolina | 2,200 | 330 | 11.1% |
| Wisconsin | 2,120 | 320 | 16.5% |
| Arizona | 1,690 | 250 | 6.3% |
| Michigan | 1,650 | 250 | 10.0% |
| South Dakota | 1,580 | 240 | 12.9% |
| Ohio | 1,570 | 230 | 1.9% |
| Mississippi | 1,560 | 230 | 9.1% |
| Missouri | 1,520 | 230 | 10.1% |
| Minnesota | 1,470 | 220 | 10.5% |
| Oklahoma | 1,090 | 160 | 6.9% |
| New York | 1,080 | 0 | — |
| Kansas | 950 | 140 | 11.8% |
| Arkansas | 890 | 130 | 9.9% |
| North Dakota | 870 | 130 | 7.4% |
| Montana | 720 | 110 | 30.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 600 | 90 | 1.7% |
| Maryland | 540 | 80 | 14.9% |
| Massachusetts | 530 | 80 | 17.8% |
| Kentucky | 490 | 70 | 8.9% |
| South Carolina | 490 | 70 | 4.3% |
| Louisiana | 420 | 60 | 7.7% |
| New Mexico | 410 | 60 | 13.9% |
| Idaho | 310 | 50 | 14.8% |
| Utah | 310 | 50 | 19.2% |
| Connecticut | 220 | 30 | 15.8% |
| Vermont | 210 | 30 | 5.0% |
| New Jersey | 50 | 10 | −16.7% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Iowa State University
- Degrees each year
- 45
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college CACalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Degrees each year
- 31
- Admit rate
- 30%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Program entryDirect to major
Open college NCNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Degrees each year
- 27
- Admit rate
- 40%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Program entryDirect to major
Open college MOUniversity of Missouri-Columbia
- Degrees each year
- 20
- Admit rate
- 77%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college SDSouth Dakota State University
- Degrees each year
- 17
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college TXSam Houston State University
- Degrees each year
- 17
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college INPurdue University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 17
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Program entryFirst-year program admission
Open college KSKansas State University
- Degrees each year
- 16
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college