Agricultural Technicians
Agricultural Technicians (SOC 19-4012) earn a median $49,630 a year ($23.86 an hour) in the United States, with 15,130 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Iowa.
What agricultural technicians do
Agricultural technicians work with agricultural scientists on research in plants, fiber, and animals, or assist with animal breeding and nutrition. Typical tasks include preparing land for crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, leveling, and similar work, operating farm machinery such as tractors, sprayers, and combines, and recording data on experiments, research, or animal care. They set up and maintain laboratory equipment, collect samples from crops or animals, and prepare specimens, and they also maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, and tools so that they are ready for use. The occupation differs from agricultural and food scientists, who plan and interpret the research, from farmworkers, who plant, tend, and harvest crops or animals on production farms, and from food science technicians, who test food products. They also perform crop production duties such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, and harvesting, and they examine animals or crop specimens for diseases or other problems.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Agricultural Assistant, Agricultural Equipment Technician, Acidity Tester, Agricultural Research Technologist, Agricultural Service Technician.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.30 | $19.69 | $23.86 | $30.59 | $36.77 | $25.89 | 15,130 |
| Annual | $35,980 | $40,950 | $49,630 | $63,630 | $76,480 | $53,840 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where agricultural technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $16.70 | $20.00 | $30.80 | $36.53 | $39.70 | $30.10 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $34,730 | $41,600 | $64,070 | $75,990 | $82,580 | $62,610 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $25.59 | $29.67 | $30.34 | $33.09 | $39.64 | $31.57 | 30 | 0.12 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $53,220 | $61,710 | $63,120 | $68,830 | $82,440 | $65,660 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $20.74 | $24.95 | $30.28 | $36.51 | $36.52 | $30.04 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $43,140 | $51,900 | $62,990 | $75,950 | $75,950 | $62,490 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $20.84 | $22.46 | $29.00 | $30.66 | $36.17 | $28.14 | 2,420 | 0.13 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $43,340 | $46,710 | $60,320 | $63,770 | $75,230 | $58,530 | ||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $14.65 | $20.99 | $28.78 | $34.86 | $37.01 | $27.83 | 210 | 0.10 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $30,460 | $43,660 | $59,860 | $72,510 | $76,980 | $57,890 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $20.84 | $22.46 | $29.00 | $30.66 | $36.17 | $28.14 | 2,420 | 0.13 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $43,340 | $46,710 | $60,320 | $63,770 | $75,230 | $58,530 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $13.34 | $14.00 | $23.54 | $27.45 | $32.65 | $22.59 | 1,020 | 0.21 | 2.15 |
| Annual | $27,760 | $29,120 | $48,960 | $57,100 | $67,910 | $46,990 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.90 | $19.21 | $22.31 | $29.63 | $33.46 | $24.50 | 700 | 0.11 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $33,070 | $39,960 | $46,410 | $61,630 | $69,590 | $50,960 | ||||
| Idaho | Hourly | $18.25 | $21.80 | $23.50 | $28.94 | $33.37 | $25.06 | 650 | 0.76 | 7.81 |
| Annual | $37,960 | $45,330 | $48,870 | $60,180 | $69,410 | $52,130 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $18.33 | $18.95 | $22.34 | $24.80 | $31.61 | $23.25 | 620 | 0.21 | 2.17 |
| Annual | $38,130 | $39,420 | $46,470 | $51,570 | $65,760 | $48,360 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $22.73 | $23.07 | $31.99 | $37.85 | $38.32 | $31.30 | 30 | 0.17 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $47,280 | $47,980 | $66,540 | $78,730 | $79,710 | $65,110 | ||||
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | Hourly | $15.01 | $22.48 | $31.39 | $38.73 | $48.52 | $32.43 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $31,210 | $46,750 | $65,300 | $80,560 | $100,920 | $67,460 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $23.59 | $27.50 | $31.39 | $35.62 | $35.63 | $32.03 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $49,060 | $57,200 | $65,280 | $74,090 | $74,100 | $66,620 | ||||
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | Hourly | $19.56 | $26.33 | $31.15 | $31.15 | $31.15 | $28.32 | 120 | 0.55 | 5.60 |
| Annual | $40,680 | $54,770 | $64,790 | $64,790 | $64,790 | $58,910 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $23.41 | $23.41 | $31.13 | $36.52 | $36.52 | $30.33 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $48,700 | $48,700 | $64,750 | $75,950 | $75,950 | $63,090 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $22.06 | $22.06 | $30.59 | $30.59 | $36.29 | $28.33 | 500 | 0.08 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $45,880 | $45,890 | $63,630 | $63,630 | $75,490 | $58,920 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $20.79 | $22.95 | $30.13 | $30.66 | $36.10 | $27.64 | 460 | 0.42 | 4.35 |
| Annual | $43,230 | $47,740 | $62,680 | $63,770 | $75,080 | $57,480 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $15.53 | $20.01 | $26.14 | $28.46 | $33.98 | $25.00 | 350 | 0.12 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $32,290 | $41,620 | $54,380 | $59,190 | $70,670 | $52,000 | ||||
| Madison, WI | Hourly | $19.39 | $19.50 | $22.61 | $24.80 | $31.61 | $24.27 | 250 | 0.61 | 6.25 |
| Annual | $40,340 | $40,550 | $47,030 | $51,570 | $65,760 | $50,470 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $17.30 | $20.27 | $22.50 | $27.88 | $35.64 | $24.55 | 220 | 0.18 | 1.87 |
| Annual | $35,980 | $42,160 | $46,800 | $57,980 | $74,130 | $51,070 | ||||
Top industries employing agricultural technicians
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 24.7% of agricultural technicians nationally (3,730 jobs) at a median $52,000 a year ($25.00 an hour), followed by Scientific Research and Development Services (14.9%) and Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) (14.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 3,730 | 24.7% | $52,000 | $25.00 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 2,260 | 14.9% | $47,390 | $22.78 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) NAICS 4240A3 | 2,150 | 14.2% | $51,680 | $24.85 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 1,410 | 9.3% | $46,510 | $22.36 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 810 | 5.4% | $47,200 | $22.69 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (15,130). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $40,430 for agricultural technicians in May 2021 and $49,630 in May 2025, with employment of 13,560 and 15,130.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $40,430 | $19.44 | 13,560 |
| May 2022 | $41,760 | $20.08 | 13,140 |
| May 2023 | $43,180 | $20.76 | 13,150 |
| May 2024 | $46,790 | $22.49 | 14,340 |
| May 2025 | $49,630 | $23.86 | 15,130 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
40 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa profile | $30.80 | $64,070 | $34,730 | $82,580 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | Wyoming profile | $30.34 | $63,120 | $53,220 | $82,440 | 30 | 0.12 | 1.26 |
| 3 | Arizona profile | $30.28 | $62,990 | $43,140 | $75,950 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | California profile | $29.00 | $60,320 | $43,340 | $75,230 | 2,420 | 0.13 | 1.37 |
| 5 | Kentucky profile | $28.78 | $59,860 | $30,460 | $76,980 | 210 | 0.10 | 1.05 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $27.55 | $57,310 | $37,440 | $87,550 | 530 | 0.18 | 1.84 |
| 7 | New Jersey profile | $26.14 | $54,370 | $38,760 | $139,440 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Missouri profile | $25.99 | $54,060 | $33,400 | $79,140 | 420 | 0.14 | 1.47 |
| 9 | Delaware profile | $25.25 | $52,510 | $39,670 | $67,080 | ** | ** | ** |
| 10 | North Carolina profile | $24.74 | $51,470 | $37,280 | $66,810 | 550 | 0.11 | 1.14 |
| 11 | Texas profile | $24.17 | $50,270 | $37,400 | $95,850 | 120 | 0.01 | 0.09 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $23.88 | $49,680 | $39,510 | $67,930 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.74 |
| 13 | Georgia profile | $23.54 | $48,960 | $27,760 | $67,910 | 1,020 | 0.21 | 2.15 |
| 14 | Idaho profile | $23.50 | $48,870 | $37,960 | $69,410 | 650 | 0.76 | 7.81 |
| 15 | Mississippi profile | $23.46 | $48,800 | $29,550 | $78,360 | 190 | 0.16 | 1.67 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.46 | $48,800 | $36,770 | $87,110 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.19 |
| 17 | Washington profile | $23.19 | $48,220 | $38,480 | $65,660 | 470 | 0.13 | 1.36 |
| 18 | Hawaii profile | $23.06 | $47,960 | $39,520 | $76,970 | 150 | 0.23 | 2.39 |
| 19 | Nebraska profile | $22.80 | $47,420 | $36,050 | $61,880 | 580 | 0.57 | 5.85 |
| 20 | Maine profile | $22.79 | $47,410 | $33,390 | $59,500 | 50 | 0.08 | 0.81 |
| 21 | Kansas profile | $22.69 | $47,200 | $34,670 | $78,680 | 450 | 0.32 | 3.24 |
| 22 | Colorado profile | $22.61 | $47,020 | $35,880 | $86,190 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.34 |
| 23 | North Dakota profile | $22.58 | $46,960 | $36,660 | $64,270 | 100 | 0.24 | 2.43 |
| 24 | Oregon profile | $22.50 | $46,800 | $35,980 | $65,740 | 480 | 0.24 | 2.51 |
| 25 | Arkansas profile | $22.48 | $46,750 | $34,990 | $61,460 | 260 | 0.20 | 2.02 |
| 26 | Utah profile | $22.38 | $46,560 | $35,300 | $62,720 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.23 |
| 27 | Wisconsin profile | $22.34 | $46,470 | $38,130 | $65,760 | 620 | 0.21 | 2.17 |
| 28 | Illinois profile | $22.31 | $46,410 | $33,070 | $69,590 | 700 | 0.11 | 1.17 |
| 29 | Indiana profile | $22.20 | $46,170 | $35,590 | $73,840 | 410 | 0.13 | 1.31 |
| 30 | New York profile | $22.03 | $45,830 | $39,330 | $69,490 | 380 | 0.04 | 0.41 |
| 31 | Tennessee profile | $21.70 | $45,130 | $35,600 | $62,390 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| 32 | Nevada profile | $20.96 | $43,590 | $38,480 | $55,790 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.26 |
| 33 | Michigan profile | $20.57 | $42,780 | $38,290 | $64,790 | 450 | 0.10 | 1.05 |
| 34 | Florida profile | $20.53 | $42,700 | $37,490 | $75,840 | 240 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| 35 | New Hampshire profile | $20.44 | $42,520 | $42,520 | $50,630 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.49 |
| 36 | South Dakota profile | $19.91 | $41,420 | $34,930 | $54,170 | 350 | 0.76 | 7.78 |
| 37 | South Carolina profile | $19.85 | $41,290 | $32,970 | $62,350 | 100 | 0.04 | 0.44 |
| 38 | Virginia profile | $19.81 | $41,210 | $31,900 | $66,120 | 170 | 0.04 | 0.43 |
| 39 | Oklahoma profile | $18.19 | $37,840 | $28,910 | $98,980 | ** | ** | ** |
| – | Ohio profile | * | * | * | * | 140 | 0.03 | 0.26 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (19-4010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 19-4012 Agricultural Technicians.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 19-4012, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 19-4012.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.