How much does a agricultural equipment operator make?

The median pay is $20.06 per hour — roughly $41,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.11/hr (10th percentile) to $28.20/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a agricultural equipment operator?

The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).

What does a agricultural equipment operator actually do all day?

Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers. Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery. Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.

Farming & Outdoors

Agricultural Equipment Operators

Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.

What it pays
Agricultural Equipment Operators earn a median of $20.06/hr — about $41,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.11/hr; the top 10% earn $28.20/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.
Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.
Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.
Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.
Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 7.1% of agricultural equipment operators are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a agricultural equipment operator make?: The median pay is $20.06 per hour — roughly $41,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.11/hr (10th percentile) to $28.20/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a agricultural equipment operator?: The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
What does a agricultural equipment operator actually do all day?: Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers. Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery. Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.