Also called: Zanjero, Canal Operator
Patrols irrigation canals and opens and closes gates to deliver each farmer's share of water.
You drive canal banks all day adjusting gates, measuring flows, clearing trash racks, and checking for leaks. In Arizona this job is called 'zanjero,' a title dating back to Spanish colonial times.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school; trained on the job.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing slowly. Automated gates are reducing positions in some districts.
Medium risk for 10 years. Remote-controlled canal gates and flow meters cut daily patrols; fewer riders per district by 2036.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to your local irrigation district in late winter for ditch rider or canal tender jobs
Classes: Agriculture science, Earth science.
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.