Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 19-4012

Agricultural Technicians

Median pay sits 58% below the mid peer in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations (neighbors include Political Scientists, Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other, Sociologists, Astronomers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Agricultural Technicians: Political Scientists ($142K) , Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other ($101K) , Sociologists ($106K) , Astronomers ($129K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Agricultural Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-4012 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, discing, leveling, or contouring
  2. 2. Operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks
  3. 3. Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care
  4. 4. Maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness
  5. 5. Conduct studies of nitrogen or alternative fertilizer application methods, quantities, or timing to ensure satisfaction of crop needs and…
  6. 6. Prepare laboratory samples for analysis, following proper protocols to ensure that they will be stored, prepared, and disposed of efficie…
  7. 7. Measure or weigh ingredients used in laboratory testing
  8. 8. Perform crop production duties, such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, or harvesting crops
  9. 9. Perform tests on seeds to evaluate seed viability
  10. 10. Prepare data summaries, reports, or analyses that include results, charts, or graphs to document research findings and results
  11. 11. Collect animal or crop samples
  12. 12. Perform laboratory or field testing, using spectrometers, nitrogen determination apparatus, air samplers, centrifuges, or potential hydro…

Agricultural Technicians: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-4012 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Food Production. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 3.4
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.3
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.3
  4. 4. Writing 3.1
  5. 5. Active Learning 3.1
  6. 6. Monitoring 3.1
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
  8. 8. Speaking 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Food Production 3.6
  2. 2. Biology 3.5
  3. 3. Chemistry 3.4
  4. 4. Mechanical 3.4
  5. 5. Mathematics 3.1
  6. 6. Administration and Management 3.0
Pay vs Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations peers
-58%
vs mid peer median $117,790
This role $49,630/yr
$50K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
2,900
Annual openings
15,130
Estimated US jobs
Political Scientists
Highest-pay peer · $142K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Associate's degree

Top Paying States for Agricultural Technicians

1. New Jersey $54,370
2. Missouri $54,060
3. Arizona $62,990
4. Wyoming $63,120
5. North Carolina $51,470
6. Iowa $64,070
7. California $60,320
8. Minnesota $57,310
9. Kentucky $59,860
10. Delaware $52,510

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Sociologists $106,030
  2. 2. Astronomers $128,820
  3. 3. Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $101,110
  4. 4. Economists $124,720
  5. 5. Geographers $102,040
  6. 6. Political Scientists $142,080

Among Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations peers on this card, Agricultural Technicians sits 58% below the mid peer median ($117,790). Its own median is $49,630.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Associate's degree 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: New Jersey at $54,370. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Political Scientists at $142,080. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Agricultural Technicians pay-rank #48 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

On the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table (48 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Agricultural Technicians lands at #48, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third 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.

Agricultural Technicians pays 58% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Agricultural Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-4012

New Jersey · top state for Agricultural Technicians

$54K published median

Missouri · #2 state pay

$54K · behind New Jersey

Political Scientists

Highest-pay peer vs Agricultural Technicians · $142K

Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Agricultural Technicians · $101K

Compare Agricultural Technicians

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

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Agricultural Technicians

Against another occupation

Political Scientists card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Agricultural Technicians land on the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table? ▼
Agricultural Technicians is pay-rank #48 of 48 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Food Science Technicians ($52K), Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians ($53K), Forest and Conservation Technicians ($55K), Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health ($55K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do agricultural technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Agricultural Technicians. Leading ones include: Prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, discing, leveling, or contouring; Operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks; Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care; Maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for agricultural technicians? ▼
For SOC 19-4012, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (3.4), Active Listening (3.3), Critical Thinking (3.3), Writing (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Food Production, Biology, Chemistry. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Agricultural Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $49,630 as the national median for Agricultural Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $35,980 to $76,480. Beside Political Scientists ($142,080), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Agricultural Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Agricultural Technicians is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 2,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Agricultural Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Associate's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Agricultural Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Agricultural Technicians? ▼
New Jersey ($54,370), Missouri ($54,060), Arizona ($62,990) 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 Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-4012. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Agricultural Technicians. 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