19 Series · SOC 19-4012
Agricultural Technicians Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $49,630
- Median / year
- $76,480
- Top 10% earn
- +4.3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 15,130
- US workers
Agricultural Technicians earn a median of $49,630 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $49,630, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $35,980 (10th percentile) to $76,480 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 15,130 US workers. Iowa pays the most ($64,070), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Agricultural Technicians earn a median of $49,630, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 32% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #48 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 4.3% by 2033.
- $49,630
- Median annual wage
- Top 68%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #48 of 48
- in Life, Physical, and Social Science
- 2.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Iowa at $64,070. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
Agricultural Technicians (SOC 19-4012) pays a national median of $49,630 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $35,980 at the 10th percentile to $76,480 at the 90th, with a mean of $53,840 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 15,130 Americans work in this occupation across 39 reporting states and 78 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,900 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Associate's degree and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 1.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.7 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Iowa pays the highest state median at $64,070, which is +29% above the national figure. The top metro is Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area at $79,130 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$49,630
per year
Median Hourly
$23.86/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$53,840
average
Employment
15,130
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Agricultural Technicians pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$49,630 Bottom 32% higher than 32% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Agricultural Technicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 19-series occupations with growth data, Agricultural Technicians sits on the slower-growing side at +4.3% growth and $49,630 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+4.3%
About average
Annual Openings
2,900
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Associate's degree
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
0.7/100
Danger Index
3.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Agricultural Technicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
- ▸ Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
- ▸ Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing characteristics such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium content, pH, or micronutrients.
- ▸ Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care.
- ▸ Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
- ▸ Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
- ▸ Create, layer, and analyze maps showing precision agricultural data, such as crop yields, soil characteristics, input applications, terrain, drainage patterns, or field management history.
- ▸ Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$35,980
25th Percentile
$40,950
Median
$49,630
75th Percentile
$63,630
90th Percentile
$76,480
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 39 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $64,070 | +29% above national |
| 2 | Wyoming | $63,120 | +27% above national |
| 3 | Arizona | $62,990 | +27% above national |
| 4 | California | $60,320 | +22% above national |
| 5 | Kentucky | $59,860 | +21% above national |
| 6 | Minnesota | $57,310 | +15% above national |
| 7 | New Jersey | $54,370 | +10% above national |
| 8 | Missouri | $54,060 | +9% above national |
| 9 | Delaware | $52,510 | +6% above national |
| 10 | North Carolina | $51,470 | +4% above national |
| 11 | Texas | $50,270 | +1% above national |
| 12 | Maryland | $49,680 | same as national |
| 13 | Georgia | $48,960 | 1% below national |
| 14 | Idaho | $48,870 | 2% below national |
| 15 | Mississippi | $48,800 | 2% below national |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $48,800 | 2% below national |
| 17 | Washington | $48,220 | 3% below national |
| 18 | Hawaii | $47,960 | 3% below national |
| 19 | Nebraska | $47,420 | 4% below national |
| 20 | Maine | $47,410 | 4% below national |
| 21 | Kansas | $47,200 | 5% below national |
| 22 | Colorado | $47,020 | 5% below national |
| 23 | North Dakota | $46,960 | 5% below national |
| 24 | Oregon | $46,800 | 6% below national |
| 25 | Arkansas | $46,750 | 6% below national |
| 26 | Utah | $46,560 | 6% below national |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $46,470 | 6% below national |
| 28 | Illinois | $46,410 | 6% below national |
| 29 | Indiana | $46,170 | 7% below national |
| 30 | New York | $45,830 | 8% below national |
| 31 | Tennessee | $45,130 | 9% below national |
| 32 | Nevada | $43,590 | 12% below national |
| 33 | Michigan | $42,780 | 14% below national |
| 34 | Florida | $42,700 | 14% below national |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $42,520 | 14% below national |
| 36 | South Dakota | $41,420 | 17% below national |
| 37 | South Carolina | $41,290 | 17% below national |
| 38 | Virginia | $41,210 | 17% below national |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $37,840 | 24% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 78 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $79,130 | +59% above national |
| 2 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $73,560 | +48% above national |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $66,540 | +34% above national |
| 4 | Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $66,370 | +34% above national |
| 5 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $65,300 | +32% above national |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $65,280 | +32% above national |
| 7 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $64,790 | +31% above national |
| 8 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $64,750 | +30% above national |
| 9 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $63,630 | +28% above national |
| 10 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $63,080 | +27% above national |
| 11 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $62,900 | +27% above national |
| 12 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $62,680 | +26% above national |
| 13 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $61,940 | +25% above national |
| 14 | South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $60,380 | +22% above national |
| 15 | Iowa City, IA | $59,820 | +21% above national |
| 16 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $58,730 | +18% above national |
| 17 | Napa, CA | $58,340 | +18% above national |
| 18 | West Delta Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $55,380 | +12% above national |
| 19 | Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $54,550 | +10% above national |
| 20 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $54,380 | +10% above national |
| 21 | Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $53,550 | +8% above national |
| 22 | Salinas, CA | $53,510 | +8% above national |
| 23 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $52,620 | +6% above national |
| 24 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $52,600 | +6% above national |
| 25 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $52,510 | +6% above national |
| 26 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $52,310 | +5% above national |
| 27 | Fresno, CA | $52,160 | +5% above national |
| 28 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $51,840 | +4% above national |
| 29 | Fargo, ND-MN | $51,770 | +4% above national |
| 30 | Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $51,720 | +4% above national |
| 31 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $51,540 | +4% above national |
| 32 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $51,380 | +4% above national |
| 33 | Manhattan, KS | $51,270 | +3% above national |
| 34 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $50,800 | +2% above national |
| 35 | Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $49,990 | +1% above national |
| 36 | Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $49,750 | same as national |
| 37 | Modesto, CA | $49,730 | same as national |
| 38 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $49,310 | 1% below national |
| 39 | Boise City, ID | $49,220 | 1% below national |
| 40 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $49,010 | 1% below national |
| 41 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $48,980 | 1% below national |
| 42 | Idaho Falls, ID | $48,870 | 2% below national |
| 43 | Ames, IA | $48,430 | 2% below national |
| 44 | Yakima, WA | $48,100 | 3% below national |
| 45 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $47,480 | 4% below national |
| 46 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $47,200 | 5% below national |
| 47 | Madison, WI | $47,030 | 5% below national |
| 48 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $46,850 | 6% below national |
| 49 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $46,800 | 6% below national |
| 50 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $46,760 | 6% below national |
| 51 | Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area | $46,590 | 6% below national |
| 52 | Twin Falls, ID | $46,280 | 7% below national |
| 53 | East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $46,260 | 7% below national |
| 54 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $46,170 | 7% below national |
| 55 | Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $46,040 | 7% below national |
| 56 | Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $45,830 | 8% below national |
| 57 | Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $45,660 | 8% below national |
| 58 | Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area | $44,860 | 10% below national |
| 59 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $44,720 | 10% below national |
| 60 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $43,960 | 11% below national |
| 61 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $43,210 | 13% below national |
| 62 | Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $42,640 | 14% below national |
| 63 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $42,280 | 15% below national |
| 64 | East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $41,480 | 16% below national |
| 65 | Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $41,400 | 17% below national |
| 66 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $41,030 | 17% below national |
| 67 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $40,830 | 18% below national |
| 68 | West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $40,770 | 18% below national |
| 69 | Jefferson City, MO | $40,540 | 18% below national |
| 70 | Wichita, KS | $40,520 | 18% below national |
| 71 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $40,490 | 18% below national |
| 72 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $40,110 | 19% below national |
| 73 | Salem, OR | $38,720 | 22% below national |
| 74 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $38,710 | 22% below national |
| 75 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $38,500 | 22% below national |
| 76 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $38,400 | 23% below national |
| 77 | Omaha, NE-IA | $38,030 | 23% below national |
| 78 | South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $31,200 | 37% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 19 (life physical and social science) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Agricultural Technicians make? ▼
What state pays Agricultural Technicians the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Agricultural Technicians? ▼
How dangerous is being a Agricultural Technicians? ▼
Is Agricultural Technicians a good career? ▼
How does Agricultural Technicians pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Agricultural Technicians? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Agricultural Technicians pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $63,630/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Iowa leads at $64,070/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.