← All careers

Science

Precision Agriculture Technicians

Apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to agricultural production or management activities, such as pest scouting, site-specific pesticide application, yield mapping, or variable-rate irrigation. May use computers to develop or analyze maps or remote sensing images to compare physical topography with data on soils, fertilizer, pests, or weather.

Median salary (BLS)

$49,630

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$36k – $76k

Job outlook

+4% (faster than average)

AI exposure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports one wage for this occupational group, which covers 2 related roles — so read the median as an approximate group figure, and the range as the truer picture for this specific title. BLS source.

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $119,000 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 Precision Agriculture Technicians

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$8,000–$22,000

Time to qualify

2 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Associate degree (community college)

    Degree

    Two years at in-district rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $4,050/yr, plus ~$1,200/yr books & supplies.

    $8,000–$22,000 · 2 years source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Precision Agriculture 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 Precision Agriculture Technicians

    Entry / Junior

    $35,980

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Precision Agriculture Technicians

    Established

    $49,630

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Precision Agriculture Technicians

    Senior

    $63,055

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
  • •Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
  • •Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing characteristics such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium content, pH, or micronutrients.
  • •Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
  • •Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Science

Explore all

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