Agriculture is a big part of the U.S. economy, about 2.6 million people work directly on farms and ranches in the United States. But agriculture in the U.S. is more than “just farming” – it’s a vibrant industry that offers a web of different careers. These workers ensure we have food on our plates, clothes on our backs, and even biofuels in our tanks.
Careers in agriculture often involve working with your hands, being outdoors, and using heavy machinery. They can also include the management of a business, as many farmers are often owners. A growing aspect of this cluster is scientific and technical, whether doing research in a lab or designing robots to assist with crop production.
From fields to laboratories, agriculture offers careers for every interest and education level. Here are some examples:
Careers that require a high school diploma or less include farmworkers and laborers, logging equipment operators, animal caretakers, fishing and hunting workers, agricultural inspectors, butchers and meat cutters, and pest control workers.
Many careers require short-term training–from a few months to about two years— including farm equipment mechanics, and technicians in a wide variety of disciplines, including veterinary, food science, forest and conservation, hydrologic, and agricultural.
Careers that usually require a bachelor’s degree include food scientists, agricultural engineers, microbiologists, chemical engineers, foresters, environmental engineering technicians, and farm managers.
A number of careers in this cluster require a graduate degree, such as environmental economists, veterinarians, animal scientists, bioinformatics scientists, geneticists, soil and plant scientists, and hydrologists.
Is a career in Agriculture for you? Keep these points in mind:
- While some traditional farm jobs are seeing slower growth, opportunities involving agricultural technology and science are expanding.
- If you love animals, there are jobs caring for cows, chickens, horses, sheep, or even bees! From feeding and grooming to helping during animal births – it’s hands-on and satisfying work.
- Many farm jobs involve long hours of manual labor: lifting, bending, standing for hours, or working in extreme weather. It can be tough on the body, especially during planting and harvest seasons.
- As farming becomes more tech-driven, there’s growing pressure to learn new tech skills, which can be a challenge for workers used to traditional farming or who lack training.
- Harvesting, calving, or planting seasons often mean sunrise-to-sunset shifts, weekends, and holidays. It’s not always a typical 9-to-5.
Whatever your career direction, you can find options that fit. Keep exploring at CareerOneStop.org/ExploreCareers