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Agricultural Journalism

Types of Degrees Agricultural Journalism Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Agricultural Journalism can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	6
Bachelor’s Degree	456
Master’s Degree	75

What Agricultural Journalism Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Agricultural Journalism develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Agricultural Journalism graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Agricultural Journalism emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Communications and Media — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Telecommunications — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 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 Journalism program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Agricultural Journalism careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Agricultural Journalism graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Agricultural Journalism professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Agricultural Journalism graduates include:

• AV Installation Tech (Audiovisual Installation Technician)
• Music, Sound, and Light Technician
• Event AV Operator (Event Audio Visual Operator)
• Operations Technician
• Stage Technician
• Audio Technician
• Audio Visual Communications Systems Technician
• Audio Visual Specialist (AV Specialist)
• Media Technician
• Theater Technician
• Service Technician (Service Tech)
• Projector Operator
• Video Control Operator
• Video Operator
• Audio Installer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	42.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	25.1%
Postsecondary certificate	19.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.2%
Some college courses	1.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Agricultural Journalism?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 85.3% of Agricultural Journalism degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	458	85.3%
Men	79	14.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	464	86.4%
Asian	8	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	37	6.9%
Black or African American	3	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.9%
Two or More Races	7	1.3%
Race Unknown	5	0.9%
International Students	8	1.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Agricultural Journalism Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Agricultural Journalism graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$45,101
4 years	$50,243
5 years	$55,891

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,891 — roughly 24% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Agricultural Journalism Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Agricultural Journalism. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Agricultural Journalism Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Agricultural Journalism graduates earn a median of $50,243 four years after completion — roughly 32% 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 Public Services	01.08
Agricultural and Extension Education Services	01.0801
Agricultural Public Services, Other	01.0899

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.