How to Become an Agricultural Equipment Technician

There are hundreds of career path options available to heavy equipment operators. One option is to pursue farming equipment operator jobs in the agriculture business. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over twenty-eight thousand farm equipment technicians nationwide making a mean annual wage of $39,750 with respectable health, vision, dental, and 401(k) retirement benefits.

Farm equipment operators use a wide variety of agricultural machinery to support farming operations such as:

1. Tilling soil

2. Precision planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops

3. Feeding and herding livestock

4. Crop baling

5. Hay bucking

6. Husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning post-harvest

Typical Agricultural Operator Technician Job Descriptions

The average farm operator job description will list certain qualifications required and a set of responsibilities the job applicant should be able to handle.

Commonly listed farming equipment operator qualifications are:

1. Driver’s License and sometimes a Commercial Driver’s License

2. Prior experience as a farm equipment operator

3. Prior experience in the specific type of agricultural activities needed, such as grain farming

Commonly listed farming equipment operator responsibilities are:

1. Operating heavy farm equipment

2. Clean, calibrating, and maintaining farm equipment and tools to prevent damage

3. Repairing farm equipment as needed

4. General farming duties such as farm ground, building, and equipment maintenance

5. Transporting products

6. Safety compliance

7. Recordkeeping

There is a huge range of qualifications and responsibilities that will vary in expertise across different types of farming operations and agricultural machines.

For example, a Farm Equipment Applicator (a.k.a. “Crop Sprayer”) will need to know about fertilizers, pesticides, and other agricultural chemicals that promote crop health, but may not be required to have a Commercial Driver’s License to do their job.

However, understanding safety compliance and maintaining farming equipment and supplies will be found in all agricultural operator job descriptions.

How to Approach the Job Interview

It is important to recognize that farming operations are a business. That means it is wise to enter an interview equipped to speak about the importance of inventory management, the benefit of building farm equipment dealer relationships, price points, and ways to maximize productivity in a farm setting.

Another way to make yourself stand out in your job search is to be able to speak the vocabulary. Before going into an interview, educate yourself on types of farming equipment and brands to show you are comfortable working in a farms' business.

For example, share your thoughts on the different types of New Holland equipment and how they compare to Massey Ferguson, Case IH, or even previous models of New Holland equipment. Which brand offers a smoother ride? Or, which brand manufacturers do you like best when it comes to tractors and tractor attachments or tractor-trailers? It is helpful to show you have put thought into the factors that make a difference to a farming company and maximize productivity.

The different types of farm machinery and attachments that farm equipment operators may be required to operate include:

1. Tractors

2. Spreaders

3. Sprayers

4. Wheel loaders

5. Floaters

6. Conveyors

7. Mowers

8. Forklifts

9. Transfer augers

10. Corn head

11. Many types of trucks

12. Plows

13. Balers

14. Harrows

15. Combine

16. Harvester

Which Industries Hire Farm Equipment Operators?

The industries with the most agricultural equipment operator jobs include:

1. Support activities for crop production

This industry includes jobs such as the “Farm Equipment Applicator” career described above. The purpose of these roles are to ensure a healthy crop and profitable yield.

These types of farm employees operate and repair machinery through the process of planting and harvesting so that the farm operation can sell the inventory for a profit. Tractors, sprayers, and harvesters are commonly sought equipment skills.

2. Merchant wholesalers of nondurable goods

This industry focuses on large-scale production of nondurable goods, which means goods that have a life expectancy of under three years. Nondurable good producers that create the largest number of farm equipment operator jobs in the United States tend to produce paper, petroleum, miscellaneous nondurable goods. They also tend to hire a significant number of truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, and tractor-trailer operators as key employees.

3. Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers

This industry is actually a subsection of the wholesale industry described above. It is such a significant portion of job market for farm equipment operators that it deserves its own description.

These merchants produce and sell nondurable goods such as grains, beans, and livestock. This does not include raw milk, live poultry, seeds, or fresh fruits and vegetables.

You may recognize some of the top employers in this category, which include: Land O’ Lakes (Kent, Ohio), Pacific Coast Canola (Warden, Washington), New Holland Sales Stables (New Holland, Pennsylvania), Birdsong Corp. (Blakely, Georgia), and Waverly Sales Co. (Waverly, Iowa).

4. Employment services

Employment services companies connect agriculture industry employers with farm equipment operators, usually on a temporary basis.

These equipment operators will head to a job site once assigned to a job by the employment service. There they will apply their unique farm equipment skills to operate, maintain, and repair agricultural machinery as needed.

5. Warehousing and storage

Warehousing and storage jobs can be found across most agriculture industries. These heavy equipment operator jobs require the ability to operate agricultural equipment to safely transport crop products to warehouse storage before they are shipped for distribution.

Types of warehousing and storage equipment used include pallet jacks, lift trucks, hand trucks, scissor lifts, forklifts, reach trucks, and stackers.

Which Agricultural Equipment Technician Jobs Pay the Most?

Of the industries that hire agriculture equipment operators, those that offer the highest pay are:

1. Chemical manufacturing (annual mean wage of $50,390)

2. Merchant wholesalers of nondurable goods (annual mean wage of $50,200)

3. Lawn and garden equipment and supplies retailers (annual mean wage of $48,420)

4. Support activities for animal production (annual mean wage of $46,640)

5. Management of companies and enterprises (annual mean wage of $46,260)

QUICK NOTE: All of the statistics provided in this article are derived from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2022 Census. The annual mean wages listed were calculated by adding together all of the wage amounts disclosed and then dividing that sum by the number of wage amounts disclosed.For example: if two individuals disclosed an annual wage of $30,000 and one individual disclosed an annual wage of $75,000, the annual mean wage listed by the Bureau would be ($30,000 + $30,000 + $75,000) divided by 3 individuals. That would make the annual mean wage $45,000.

Where in the U.S. are Most Farm Equipment Operator Jobs Located?

The majority of agriculture equipment operator career options are located in:

1. California

2. Iowa

3. Illinois

4. Florida

5. Texas

At the local level, the highest concentration of agriculture equipment jobs can be found in:

1. Salinas, California

2. Yuma, Arizona

3. El Centro, California

4. Hanford, California

5. Corcoran, California

6. Merced, California

7. Napa, California

8. Visalia, California

9. Porterville, California

10. Madera, California

11. Grand Island, Nebraska

12. Yakima, Washington

As you absorb the number of jobs in each state and locality, keep in mind that these locations do not necessarily pay their farm equipment operators the best. It is important to balance the compensation rate and the cost of living to determine the value of an agricultural career in each region.

Where are the Highest Paying Farm Equipment Technician Jobs Located?

The regions that compensate farm equipment operators best in the U.S. are:

1. North Dakota (annual mean wage of $47,860)

2. South Dakota (annual mean wage of $46,060)

3. Michigan (annual mean wage of $45,860)

4. Illinois (annual mean wage of $45,570)

5. Maryland (annual mean wage of $45,470)

Zooming in on these numbers, certain metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas break this state-by-state mold.

A few of the highest-paying farm equipment jobs in a metropolitan area can be found in:

1. San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward, California (annual mean wage of $49,100)

2. Chicagoland, Illinois (annual mean wage of $48,780)

3. Cedar Rapids, IA (annual mean wage of $48,600)

4. Dubuque, Iowa (annual mean wage of $48,490)

5. Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa (annual mean wage of $48,270)

The top-paying farm equipment technician job options found in nonmetropolitan areas are:

1. East North Nebraska (annual median wage of $50,640)

2. West North Dakota (annual median wage of $47,620)

3. East South Dakota (annual median wage of $46,650)

4. Southwest Montana (annual median wage of $46,590)

5. North Northeastern Ohio (annual median wage of $46,410)

Metropolitan areas offer more local activities such as restaurants, bars, and concert venues but tend to increase the cost of living. Nonmetropolitan areas provide fewer lifestyle activity opportunities for those who like privacy, peace, and quiet, and a lower cost of living.

What Training is Required to Become a Farm Equipment Operator?

These jobs provide a great career opportunity for those starting with a high school diploma, GED, or less. Agricultural equipment technician education requirements do not present the major barrier of most other career paths and present incredible room for growth into management positions.

If you want are someone who likes to show up prepared or are willing to make an upfront investment to start at a higher agricultural equipment operator salary – there are several avenues to choose from.

The best way is to get yourself into at least one agricultural equipment technician course. You can earn anything from a basic certificate to an associate’s degree through the agricultural programs of many state and community colleges at little cost.

For example, the Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute offers everything from a Hydraulic Service and Repair Certificate and a Turfgrass Equipment Manager Certificate to degrees that include Power Equipment, Hydraulic Power and Motion Control, Construction Management education designed to help you grow into valuable leadership positions as an Agricultural Equipment Operator. Programs such as this also offer a wide array of financial resources to ease the expense.

Take the time to do your own research on the best-rated agricultural education program and certificate opportunities in your regions. Keep an eye on particular in the percentage of students that land a job after completing the program.  

The purpose of these certifications and degrees are to help you arrive at a job interview with a strong understanding of farm equipment vocabulary; how to use agricultural machinery, equipment, tools, and supplies; and how to operate machinery from the most purchased agriculture equipment brands.

However – as we said from the start – you can often get on-the-job training that requires zero upfront investment, and no high school diploma or GED to get started.

Top tractor manufacturers include:

1. John Deere

2. Caterpillar

3. Case IH

4. New Holland

5. Massey Ferguson

If your plan is to use an employment service or to employ yourself as a contractor, you can find used tractors for sale (including used John Deere tractors, used Caterpillar tractors, and used Case tractors) that will amplify your value.

You can find high-quality, performance-tested used farming equipment right here at Boom and Bucket.