Career profile · 25-1041
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in the agricultural sciences. Includes teachers of agronomy, dairy sciences, fisheries management, horticultural sciences, poultry sciences, range management, and agricultural soil conservation. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What the work can involve
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Supervise laboratory sessions and field work and coordinate laboratory operations.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as crop production, plant genetics, and soil chemistry.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This O*NET group commonly calls for extensive preparation, often including advanced education and significant experience. A related certificate or associate program should not be treated as sufficient qualification.
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
- Learning Strategies
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
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
- Biology
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
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
- Training and Teaching Others
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Getting Information
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed to Contaminants | Never | 59.0%08/2019 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 68.6%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Spend Time Sitting | More than half the time | 65.2%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 80.5%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Less than half the time | 38.4%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Never | 55.9%08/2019 · sample 24 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 73.7%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.
- Computer based training software: Blackboard Learn, Course management system software, Desire2Learn LMS software, Learning management system LMS
- Data base user interface and query software: Data management software, Database software
- Electronic mail software: Email software, Microsoft Outlook
- Information retrieval or search software: DOC Cop, iParadigms Turnitin
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Medical software: Epic Systems
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Optical character reader OCR or scanning software: Image scanning software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Web page creation and editing software: Web page design software
- Word processing software: Collaborative editing software, Google Docs, Microsoft Word
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 sciences teachers, postsecondary
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
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
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 41 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $80,030 | Not published | 280 |
| Arizona | $73,500 | Not published | 80 |
| Arkansas | $74,340 | Not published | 170 |
| California | $109,930 | Not published | 400 |
| Colorado | $81,920 | Not published | 160 |
| Connecticut | $125,350 | Not published | 80 |
| Delaware | $126,770 | Not published | 70 |
| Florida | $62,420 | Not published | 120 |
| Georgia | $104,330 | Not published | 380 |
| Idaho | $105,690 | Not published | 80 |
| Illinois | $105,440 | Not published | 340 |
| Indiana | $74,480 | Not published | 160 |
| Iowa | $101,080 | Not published | 230 |
| Kansas | $112,480 | Not published | 200 |
| Kentucky | $84,100 | Not published | 200 |
| Maine | $92,480 | Not published | 70 |
| Maryland | $129,920 | Not published | 90 |
| Michigan | $136,130 | Not published | 240 |
| Minnesota | $100,410 | Not published | 280 |
| Mississippi | $69,930 | Not published | 230 |
| Missouri | $78,730 | Not published | 210 |
| Montana | $93,470 | Not published | 160 |
| Nebraska | $97,640 | Not published | 250 |
| New Jersey | $131,380 | Not published | 50 |
| New Mexico | $108,290 | Not published | 80 |
| North Carolina | $102,560 | Not published | 500 |
| North Dakota | $108,130 | Not published | 90 |
| Ohio | $46,160 | Not published | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $64,080 | Not published | 410 |
| Oregon | $100,930 | Not published | 290 |
| Pennsylvania | Not published | Not published | 60 |
| South Dakota | $98,220 | Not published | 110 |
| Tennessee | $128,270 | Not published | 350 |
| Texas | $105,370 | Not published | 1,170 |
| Utah | $64,500 | Not published | 90 |
| Vermont | $106,680 | Not published | 60 |
| Virginia | $105,330 | Not published | 230 |
| Washington | $82,960 | Not published | 160 |
| West Virginia | Not published | Not published | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $82,950 | Not published | 370 |
| Wyoming | $98,660 | Not published | 90 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 33 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: 25-1041.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.