AEAgricultural Engineer
AE
Career

Agricultural Engineer

By the numbers
Typical pay
$98,590 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+5.9% by 2034
People in this job
1K
Figures shown for ·closest of 2 O*NET occupations
The work
A day, hour by hour
07:30
Morning review

Scan overnight sensor data from field monitors; flag anything unusual.

08:00
CAD design block

Draft irrigation layout in SolidWorks — pipe spacing, valve placement, flow rates.

10:00
Field site visit

Drive out to test last week's drip system install; boots in actual dirt.

11:30
Troubleshoot & decide

Pump pressure is off — redesign the line or work around the soil conditions?

13:00
Data crunch

Pull GPS sensor logs; spot whether yield gaps are systemic or just last week's rain.

14:30
Farmer walkthrough

Present drone-mapping findings; pitch the fix the farmer will actually adopt.

15:30
Compliance report

Write up runoff risk findings for the environmental review — numbers, not opinions.

16:30
Wrap & plan

Log field notes, update project timeline, queue tomorrow's site tasks.

Things you do
  • Design irrigation systems that deliver water exactly where crops need it.
  • Draft blueprints for farm machinery using CAD software at your desk.
  • Head out to fields and test whether your designs actually work in dirt.
  • Set up GPS sensors and drones to help farmers track their crops precisely.
  • Engineer food storage and processing facilities that keep products safe.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this design efficient enough, or am I sacrificing sustainability for performance?
  • Should I redesign the irrigation system, or work around the soil conditions as-is?
  • Is this field data telling me the system is failing, or just reacting to a bad weather week?
  • Do I push for the more innovative solution, or go with what the farmer will actually use?
  • Is this runoff risk serious enough to flag now, or can it wait for the full environmental review?
Education Pathways · how you get there
100 in 100 went the college route · 0 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:
If you like this, also look at