Agricultural Engineering
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Types of Degrees Agricultural Engineering Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many agricultural engineering graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 1,132 |
Master’s Degree | 197 |
Doctor’s Degree | 128 |
Associate Degree | 8 |
Graduate Certificate | 7 |
What Agricultural Engineering Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to AE and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for AE Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in AE should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Skills for AE Majors
A major in AE prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for AE Majors
AE majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Agricultural Engineering Major?
People with a AE degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Agricultural Engineers | 7.4% | $77,110 |
Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of AE majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 93 |
Black or African American | 51 |
Hispanic or Latino | 83 |
White | 772 |
International Students | 60 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 73 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in AE, too. About 5.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- India
- South Korea
- Iran
- Taiwan
How Much Do Agricultural Engineering Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering made a median starting salary of $59,306 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $54,405 (25th percentile) and $60,891 (75th percentile).
One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to AE.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $79,090 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to AE. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Agricultural Engineering
Some careers associated with AE require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
Find out what the typical degree level is for AE careers below.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 0.4% |
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) | 1.3% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.2% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 51.7% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 6.3% |
Master’s Degree | 22.8% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 2.4% |
Doctoral Degree | 10.1% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 2.8% |
Online Agricultural Engineering Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 44 schools offered some type of agricultural engineering program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 4 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 6 | 2 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 33 | 1 |
Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 28 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Agricultural Engineering Worth It?
The median salary for a AE grad is $113,680 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 185% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,475,600 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Agricultural Engineering
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Majors Related to Agricultural Engineering
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to AE.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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