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Agricultural Machine Operation

Types of Degrees Agricultural Machine Operation Majors Are Earning

Those studying Agricultural Machine Operation can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	20
Associate’s Degree	64
Master’s Degree	5

What Agricultural Machine Operation Majors Need to Know

Programs in Agricultural Machine Operation build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Agricultural Machine Operation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Agricultural Machine Operation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Agricultural Machine Operation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Agricultural Machine Operation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Agricultural Machine Operation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.7 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.7 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.7 / 7
Processing Information	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Agricultural Machine Operation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Agricultural Machine Operation graduates include:

• Soil Science Teacher
• Animal Husbandry Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Agronomy Instructor
• Animal Husbandry Professor
• Aquaculture Professor
• Animal Physiology Teacher
• Agricultural Engineering Technology Instructor
• Plant Pathology Teacher
• Agronomy Professor
• Pomology Teacher
• Agriculture Instructor
• Silviculture Teacher
• Sericulture Teacher
• College Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Agricultural Machine Operation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	25.3%
Postsecondary certificate	19.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	17.9%
Less than a high school diploma	13.3%
Post-doctoral training	12.4%
Master’s degree	6.4%
Some college courses	2.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.6%
Bachelor’s degree	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Agricultural Machine Operation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 93.6% of Agricultural Machine Operation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6	6.4%
Men	88	93.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Agricultural Machine Operation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	82	87.2%
Hispanic or Latino	7	7.4%
Black or African American	2	2.1%
Two or More Races	2	2.1%
Race Unknown	1	1.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Agricultural Machine Operation Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Agricultural Machine Operation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$55,065
4 years	$59,906
5 years	$65,945

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,945 — roughly 20% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Agricultural Machine Operation Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Agricultural Machine Operation graduates earn a median of $59,906 four years after completion — roughly 58% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Agricultural Mechanization	01.02
Agricultural Mechanics and Equipment/Machine Technology/Technician	01.0205
Agricultural Mechanization, General	01.0201
Irrigation Management Technology/Technician	01.0207
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations	01.0102
Agricultural and Food Products Processing	01.0401
Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding	01.1104
Agricultural Animal Breeding	01.0902
Agricultural Business and Management, General	01.0101
Agricultural Business and Management, Other	01.0199
Agricultural Economics	01.0103
Agricultural Production Operations, General	01.0301

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.