| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools. |
| Importance: 99 (%) | Description: Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers. |
Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers Jobs Matched Across 12 Careers - all on one page
These careers produce food and fiber while managing crops, animals, fisheries, forests, soil, water, and other natural resources. For people who want outdoor or science-based work connected to food production and natural resources. Use the tools below to compare related job titles, education requirements, growth, and career resources.
Here is a short Helper Video 
.
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers careers/jobs, (2) Find Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers job listings, (3) Prepare for matching Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers careers, and (4) Provide Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers, so relevant Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 1,143 Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers Job Titles.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and work experience required
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job title selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
12 Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers-Related Jobs |
11 Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers-Related Jobs |
12 Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 1,143 specific Farming Fishing and Forestry Careers job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Job Listings
.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
No selection made: Please make a selection from 1) SELECT A CAREER/JOB(at top of page)
Agricultural Equipment Operators
Description: 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.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Agricultural Equipment Operators":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
65,000U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
73,400
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
8,400 (12.9%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
11,700
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops. |
| Importance: 59 (%) | Description: Drive trucks to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers. |
| Importance: 55 (%) | Description: Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps. |
| Importance: 55 (%) | Description: Position boxes or attach bags at discharge ends of machinery to catch products, removing and closing full containers. |
| Importance: 39 (%) | Description: Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities. |
| Importance: 36 (%) | Description: Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks. |
| Importance: 35 (%) | Description: Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals. |
| Importance: 30 (%) | Description: Weigh crop-filled containers, and record weights and other identifying information. |
| Importance: 29 (%) | Description: Guide products on conveyors to regulate flow through machines, and to discard diseased or rotten products. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Apply chemical solutions to plants to protect against disease or insects or to enhance growth. | |
| Attach equipment extensions or accessories. | |
| Confer with managers to make operational decisions. | |
| Direct activities of agricultural, forestry, or fishery employees. | |
| Inspect equipment or facilities to determine condition or maintenance needs. | |
| Load agricultural or forestry products for shipment. | |
| Load materials into equipment for processing. | |
| Maintain forestry, hunting, or agricultural equipment. | |
| Measure physical characteristics of forestry or agricultural products. | |
| Operate conveyors or other industrial material moving equipment. | |
| Operate farming equipment. | |
| Operate irrigation systems. | |
| Plant crops, trees, or other plants. | |
| Prepare materials or solutions for animal or plant use. | |
| Record agricultural or forestry inventory data. | |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance) These are career-portable skills that can help you move between different jobs and industries. For the most important Transferable Skills, how can you start developing them now so they will open up more career options for you? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Transferable Skill: Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Transferable Skill: Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Transferable Skill: Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Apply protective solutions or coatings. |
| Activity: Communicate with others about operational plans or activities. |
| Activity: Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment. |
| Activity: Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing. |
| Activity: Maintain operational records. |
| Activity: Maintain tools or equipment. |
| Activity: Manage agricultural or forestry operations. |
| Activity: Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment. |
| Activity: Operate agricultural or forestry equipment. |
| Activity: Operate industrial processing or production equipment. |
| Activity: Perform agricultural activities. |
| Activity: Prepare mixtures or solutions. |
| Activity: Set up equipment. |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
Software Skills
| Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| Microsoft Access |
| Presentation software: |
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| General Software Tools |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| Martens Farms Farm Trac |
| Enterprise resource planning ERP software: |
| Farm Management Software Hay and Crop Manager |
| Map creation software: |
| Martens Farms Farm Site Mate |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 56.8 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
| Frequency of Attainment: 19.1 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 14.4 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.5 (%) | Level of Education: Some College Courses |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.1 (%) | Level of Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 20.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 18.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 18.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 18.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 12.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 8.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 10 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles Scroll and click to see current job listings. How can you use these listings to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills you should highlight on your resume? |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Agricultural Equipment Operators". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Agricultural Equipment Operators
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
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