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.
How to read this profile
BLS projects U.S. employment for Agricultural Equipment Operators to increase by 8.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 66,900 to 72,600 jobs. Its estimate of 10,100 annual openings includes replacement needs, so it does not represent current vacancies, contract postings, or freelance demand. The wage ($41,730), education (No formal educational credential), and related experience (None) figures on this profile describe typical U.S. employees. O*NET skills describe the occupation; they do not assess an individual worker's proficiency.
Base employment (2024)
66,900
Projected employment (2034)
72,600
Projected change (2024–2034)
9%
Annual openings (projected average)
10,100
Pay & Preparation
$41,730
No formal educational credential
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Essential Skills
Operation and Control (3.88/5) • Operations Monitoring (3.75/5) • Troubleshooting (3.12/5) • Active Listening (3/5) • Quality Control Analysis (3/5) • Repairing (3/5)
O*NET describes occupational requirements; these ratings do not measure current job-posting frequency or an individual worker’s proficiency.
BLS projections are long-term estimates; annual openings include growth and replacement needs and are not current vacancies.
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