Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
Agricultural Mechanization
Prepares you to sell, select, and service agricultural or agribusiness technical equipment and facilities, including computers, specialized software, power units, machinery, equipment structures, and utilities. Covers agricultural power systems, planning and selecting materials for the construction of support facilities, mechanical practices associated with irrigation and water conservation, erosion control, and agricultural data processing systems.
Inside the major
Programs within this field
Colleges may offer this field under 5 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.
- Agricultural Mechanization, General
- Prepares you to sell, select, and service agricultural or agribusiness technical equipment and facilities, including computers, specialized software, power units, machinery, equipment structures, and utilities. Covers agricultural power systems, planning and selecting materials for the construction of support facilities, mechanical practices associated with irrigation and water conservation, erosion control, and agricultural data processing systems.
- Agricultural Power Machinery Operation
- Prepares you to operate specialized farm, ranch, and agribusiness power equipment of a stationary, mobile, or hand-operated nature. Covers operating specialized equipment such as terrestrial and airborne crop-spraying equipment; tractors and hauling equipment; planting and harvesting equipment; cutting equipment; power sources and systems for silos, irrigation, pumping, and applications such as dairy, feeding and shearing operations; processing equipment; and applicable electrical, mechanical, and safety principles.
- Agricultural Mechanics and Equipment/Machine Technology/Technician
- Prepares you to maintain and repair specialized farm, ranch, and agribusiness power equipment and vehicles. Covers the principles of diesel, combustion, electrical, steam, hydraulic, and mechanical systems and their application to the maintenance of terrestrial and airborne crop-spraying equipment; tractors and hauling equipment; planting and harvesting equipment; cutting equipment; power sources and systems for silos; irrigation and pumping equipment; dairy, feeding, and shearing operations; and processing systems.
- Irrigation Management Technology/Technician
- Prepares you for employment in the field of agricultural technology and irrigation. Covers irrigation and drainage methodologies, pumping and delivery systems, system design and evaluation, and principles of installation and repair of irrigation systems.
- Agricultural Mechanization, Other
- Agricultural mechanization not listed above.
Also called Farm Equipment Operator
Also called Agricultural Equipment Mechanic, Agricultural Equipment Technician, Agricultural Machinery Technician, Farm Equipment Service Technician
Where it can lead
Careers this field can lead to
Explore related careers, starting with the closest connections and the occupations hiring the most people.
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
- Median pay
- $56,550
- Hiring change through 2035
- 10.7%
- Job openings a year
- 3,700
To get hiredHigh school diploma or equivalent
Explore this career GrowingMobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
- Median pay
- $65,510
- Hiring change through 2035
- 6.7%
- Job openings a year
- 15,000
To get hiredHigh school diploma or equivalent
Explore this career GrowingAircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
- Median pay
- $79,870
- Hiring change through 2035
- 5.4%
- Job openings a year
- 11,400
To get hiredPostsecondary nondegree award
Explore this career Growing fastAgricultural Equipment Operators
- Median pay
- $41,730
- Hiring change through 2035
- 8.6%
- Job openings a year
- 10,100
To get hiredNo formal educational credential
Explore this career ShrinkingCareer/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $63,820
- Hiring change through 2035
- −0.3%
- Job openings a year
- 8,000
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyAgricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $98,700
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.9%
- Job openings a year
- 800
To get hiredDoctoral or professional degree
Explore this careerAll work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it. The figures beside each career are the pay of that work, across everyone doing it. Graduates of this field earn $51,141 one year after completing the program, which is the start of a career rather than the shape of one.
Working style
How and where the work happens
Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.
Most careers connected to this field involve in-person work. About 78 of every 100 openings require working close to other people or spending time on your feet.
College options
How admission works
See which colleges admit first-year students to this field and which ask for a later application. Colleges are ordered by degrees awarded; sort by any numbered column.
| College | Degrees a year | Earnings, first year out | Admit rate | Program admission | Average annual cost after aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University IA | 45 | $57,856 | 89% | Open majorNew students entering directly from high school begin by applying for admission to Iowa State; the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences states no separate competitive application for its undergraduate agriculture majors. | $15,000 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA | 31 | — | 30% | Direct to majorFirst-years apply to Agriculture as their chosen major; all Cal Poly majors are impacted and applicants compete within the major. The admission threshold varies with major capacity and applicant pool. | $10,000 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC | 27 | $43,530 | 40% | Direct to majorFirst-years are admitted directly by selected major; review considers coursework, activities and experiences aligned to that program. No fixed Agriculture-specific cutoff is published. | $13,000 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia MO | 20 | $48,353 | 77% | Open major | $14,000 |
| South Dakota State University SD | 17 | $54,155 | 99% | Open majorAgricultural Science is a regular SDSU undergraduate major. The program page states no separate competitive major-admission screen. | $18,000 |
| Sam Houston State University TX | 17 | $57,352 | 85% | Open major | $16,000 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN | 17 | $51,820 | 50% | First-year program admissionPurdue admits students by intended major and evaluates grades related to the intended major, ability to succeed in that major, and space availability in the desired program. 62% · Fall 2024 first-year applicants to the College of Agriculture | $9,000 |
| Kansas State University KS | 16 | $51,141 | 79% | Open majorCollege of Agriculture majors are declared through advising and a curriculum-change request; no separate competitive admission screen is stated. | $15,000 |
| University of Idaho ID | 10 | — | 79% | Open major | $13,000 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln NE | 8 | $44,371 | 77% | Open major | $15,000 |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus ND | 7 | $44,857 | 96% | Open majorAgricultural Sciences lists the university degree and major curriculum requirements without a separate competitive program application or admission decision. | $12,000 |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus OK | 2 | — | 71% | Open major | $16,000 |
| Stephen F Austin State University TX | 1 | — | 88% | Open majorThe Agriculture BS lists only SFA undergraduate admission requirements and no separate competitive program admission. | $13,000 |