Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 45-2091

Agricultural Equipment Operators

O*NET task statements lead this Agricultural Equipment Operators card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers, Agricultural Workers, All Other, Agricultural Inspectors, Animal Breeders.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Agricultural Equipment Operators: First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers ($59K) , Agricultural Workers, All Other ($40K) , Agricultural Inspectors ($50K) , Animal Breeders ($51K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Agricultural Equipment Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 45-2091 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers
  2. 2. Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery
  3. 3. Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers
  4. 4. Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions
  5. 5. Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery
  6. 6. Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitch…
  7. 7. Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities
  8. 8. Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment
  9. 9. Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops
  10. 10. Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions
  11. 11. Weigh crop-filled containers, and record weights and other identifying information
  12. 12. Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals

Agricultural Equipment Operators: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 45-2091 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.9 ; lead knowledge English Language. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.9
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.8
  3. 3. Troubleshooting 3.1
  4. 4. Active Listening 3.0
  5. 5. Equipment Maintenance 3.0
  6. 6. Repairing 3.0
  7. 7. Quality Control Analysis 3.0
  8. 8. Critical Thinking 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. English Language 3.4
  2. 2. Mechanical 2.9
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 2.8
  4. 4. Mathematics 2.8
  5. 5. Transportation 2.7
  6. 6. Production and Processing 2.7
National median after O*NET task lead
$41,730
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers
$42K
National median
↑ +8%
Growth 2024-2034
10,500
Annual openings
28,500
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Highest-pay peer · $59K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Agricultural Equipment Operators

1. Virginia $47,890
2. Delaware $49,910
3. New York $50,020
4. Louisiana $58,520
5. Minnesota $48,520
6. North Dakota $48,080
7. South Dakota $48,060
8. Iowa $47,220
9. Massachusetts $49,150
10. Montana $58,770

Other Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations titles

  1. 1. Agricultural Inspectors $49,940
  2. 2. Agricultural Workers, All Other $39,850
  3. 3. Animal Breeders $51,130
  4. 4. Log Graders and Scalers $46,330
  5. 5. Logging Equipment Operators $49,740
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers $59,320

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Agricultural Equipment Operators (SOC 45-2091). The national OEWS median is $41,730 inside Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations. Same-group neighbors: First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers, Agricultural Workers, All Other, Agricultural Inspectors, Animal Breeders. Lead published task: Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.

Employment Projections expect +8% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 10,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Virginia at $47,890. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers at $59,320. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Agricultural Equipment Operators pay-rank #9 in Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

Agricultural Equipment Operators sits at pay-rank #9 of 13 detailed Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 45-2091 · national median $41,730 · middle third of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations (#9/13). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Agricultural Equipment Operators salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 45-2091

Virginia · top state for Agricultural Equipment Operators

$48K published median

Delaware · #2 state pay

$50K · behind Virginia

First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Agricultural Equipment Operators · $59K

Agricultural Workers, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Agricultural Equipment Operators · $40K

Compare Agricultural Equipment Operators

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Agricultural Equipment Operators with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Agricultural Equipment Operators full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Agricultural Equipment Operators mid-table among Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #9 of 13 detailed Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Forest and Conservation Workers ($44K), Log Graders and Scalers ($46K), Logging Equipment Operators ($50K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do agricultural equipment operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Agricultural Equipment Operators. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for agricultural equipment operators? ▼
For SOC 45-2091, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.9), Operations Monitoring (3.8), Troubleshooting (3.1), Active Listening (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize English Language, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Agricultural Equipment Operators? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $41,730 as the national median for Agricultural Equipment Operators. The published 10th-90th range is $33,500 to $58,650. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers ($59,320), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Agricultural Equipment Operators? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Agricultural Equipment Operators is +8%. Projected annual openings: about 10,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Agricultural Equipment Operators? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Agricultural Equipment Operators. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Agricultural Equipment Operators? ▼
Virginia ($47,890), Delaware ($49,910), New York ($50,020) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Agricultural Equipment Operators card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 45-2091. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Agricultural Equipment Operators. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics