Also called: Certified Crop Adviser, Field Agronomist
Advises farmers on what to plant, how much fertilizer to use, and how to fight weeds, bugs, and disease.
You drive from farm to farm, walking fields and pulling soil samples. You spot a fungus on soybean leaves, recommend a treatment, and help a farmer plan next year's rotation. In winter you analyze data and run grower meetings.
Agronomists at seed and chemical retailers often get bonuses tied to sales.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in agronomy, crop science, or soil science; the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) credential is common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Agronomy, Crop Science, Soil Science, Plant Science.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Soil and plant scientists.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Satellite and AI field models write more seed and fertilizer plans; farm visits and trusted advice stay human, but each covers more acres.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Agriculture science CTE, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1013.
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.