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Business & Finance

Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

Purchase farm products either for further processing or resale. Includes tree farm contractors, grain brokers and market operators, grain buyers, and tobacco buyers. May negotiate contracts.

Median salary (BLS)

$77,710

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$48k – $129k

Job outlook

+6% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,500–$153,000

Time to qualify

4.5 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.

    $500–$3,000 · 6 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

    Entry / Junior

    $48,380

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

    Established

    $77,710

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

    Senior

    $103,290

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Purchase, for further processing or for resale, farm products, such as milk, grains, or Christmas trees.
  • •Arrange for processing or resale of purchased products.
  • •Negotiate contracts with farmers for the production or purchase of farm products.
  • •Arrange for transportation or storage of purchased products.
  • •Maintain records of business transactions and product inventories, reporting data to companies or government agencies as necessary.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.