Career profile · 45-2091
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 the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Transportation
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Handling and Moving Objects
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 40.0%08/2019 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 30.6%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 84.1%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 81.6%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 40.9%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 68.3%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 27.4%08/2019 · sample 24 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Data base user interface and query software: Martens Farms Farm Trac, Microsoft Access
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Farm Management Software Hay and Crop Manager
- Map creation software: Martens Farms Farm Site Mate
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for agricultural equipment operators
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 40 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,910 | $16.30 | 370 |
| Arizona | $36,600 | $17.60 | 730 |
| Arkansas | $32,060 | $15.41 | 350 |
| California | $38,820 | $18.66 | 7,940 |
| Colorado | $37,290 | $17.93 | Not published |
| Delaware | $49,910 | $24.00 | 40 |
| Florida | $36,660 | $17.62 | 790 |
| Georgia | $35,410 | $17.02 | 570 |
| Idaho | $38,920 | $18.71 | 490 |
| Illinois | $46,050 | $22.14 | 1,910 |
| Indiana | $46,280 | $22.25 | 810 |
| Iowa | $47,220 | $22.70 | 1,530 |
| Kansas | $45,570 | $21.91 | 670 |
| Kentucky | $42,000 | $20.19 | 190 |
| Louisiana | $58,520 | $28.14 | 270 |
| Maine | $46,490 | $22.35 | 60 |
| Maryland | $39,580 | $19.03 | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $49,150 | $23.63 | 40 |
| Michigan | $42,380 | $20.37 | 460 |
| Minnesota | $48,520 | $23.33 | 900 |
| Mississippi | $36,460 | $17.53 | 280 |
| Missouri | $46,490 | $22.35 | 900 |
| Montana | $58,770 | $28.25 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $46,670 | $22.44 | 1,090 |
| New Jersey | $41,660 | $20.03 | 70 |
| New Mexico | $35,580 | $17.11 | 130 |
| New York | $50,020 | $24.05 | Not published |
| North Carolina | $39,580 | $19.03 | 550 |
| North Dakota | $48,080 | $23.11 | 430 |
| Ohio | $47,220 | $22.70 | 600 |
| Oklahoma | $34,900 | $16.78 | 170 |
| Oregon | $44,150 | $21.23 | 310 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,100 | $22.64 | 390 |
| South Carolina | $34,490 | $16.58 | 380 |
| South Dakota | $48,060 | $23.11 | 240 |
| Tennessee | $37,750 | $18.15 | 390 |
| Texas | $34,260 | $16.47 | 2,200 |
| Virginia | $47,890 | $23.02 | 120 |
| Washington | $38,470 | $18.50 | 550 |
| Wisconsin | $47,100 | $22.65 | 830 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 140 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 45-2091.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.