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Agricultural Engineering

Types of Degrees Agricultural Engineering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Agricultural Engineering have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	761
Master’s Degree	205
Doctor’s Degree	121

What Agricultural Engineering Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Agricultural Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Agricultural Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Agricultural Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Agricultural Engineering graduates include:

• Mechanical Drawing Teacher
• Research Professor
• Mechanical Engineering Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Teacher
• Metallurgy Teacher
• Petroleum Engineering Teacher
• Adjunct Engineering Instructor
• Design Teacher
• Chemical Engineering Professor
• Sanitary Engineering Teacher
• Television Engineering Teacher
• Environmental Engineering Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Mechanical Engineering Lecturer
• Industrial Engineering Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	39.4%
Bachelor’s degree	19.4%
Post-master’s certificate	12.5%
Master’s degree	12.2%
Post-doctoral training	11.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.5%
First professional degree	1.1%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Agricultural Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 46.1% women and 53.9% men among Agricultural Engineering graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	503	46.1%
Men	587	53.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	631	57.9%
Asian	76	7.0%
Hispanic or Latino	79	7.2%
Black or African American	49	4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	49	4.5%
Race Unknown	22	2.0%
International Students	180	16.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Agricultural Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Agricultural Engineering 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	$65,329
4 years	$74,666
5 years	$84,503

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $84,503 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Agricultural Engineering Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Agricultural Engineering. 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	2	1

^{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 Engineering Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Agricultural Engineering graduates earn a median of $74,666 four years after completion — roughly 96% 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
Engineering	14
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	14.02
Architectural Engineering	14.04
Biochemical Engineering	14.43
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.45
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	14.05
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.06
Chemical Engineering	14.07
Civil Engineering	14.08
Computer Engineering	14.09
Construction Engineering	14.33
Electrical and Computer Engineering	14.47

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.