← All careers

Skilled Trades

Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.

Median salary (BLS)

$56,550

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$37k – $79k

Job outlook

+11% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $70,000 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 Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians" — 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. Junior Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

    Entry / Junior

    $37,470

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

    Established

    $56,550

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

    Senior

    $67,645

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Reassemble machines and equipment following repair, testing operation and making adjustments, as necessary.
  • •Maintain, repair, and overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems.
  • •Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions.
  • •Record details of repairs made and parts used.
  • •Dismantle defective machines for repair, using hand tools.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

Explore all

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