Also called: R&D Manager (Ag), Natural Sciences Manager
Leads teams of scientists developing new seeds, crop-protection products, animal feeds, or farm technologies.
You set the research plan for a team of 20 scientists, review trial results, and decide which projects get funding. Much of your time goes to meetings with business leaders and visits to field stations to see experiments firsthand.
Natural sciences managers overall.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 12 years after high school. Usually a PhD in an ag science plus many years of research experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Agronomy, Animal Science, Plant Science, Biochemistry.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Natural sciences managers.
Low risk for 10 years. AI speeds data analysis and trial planning; setting research strategy and leading teams of scientists stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Statistics, Speech or debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9121.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.