Occupation · SOC 45-2091
Agricultural Equipment Operators
Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.
Median wage
$42,580
$31,240–$57,790
Projected growth
+7.8%
Faster than average
Annual openings
500
per year
Employed (US)
30,940
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
15 mapped
Core skills
Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringTroubleshootingActive ListeningEquipment MaintenanceRepairingQuality Control Analysis
Knowledge areas
English Language
Technology & tools
Enterprise resource planning ERP softwareMap creation softwareData base user interface and query softwareSpreadsheet softwarePresentation software
Representative tasks
Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions.Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops.Weigh crop-filled containers, and record weights and other identifying information.Drive trucks to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers.Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals.Guide products on conveyors to regulate flow through machines, and to discard diseased or rotten products.Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.Position boxes or attach bags at discharge ends of machinery to catch products, removing and closing full containers.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Routine tractors and small implements — operate safely under a senior operator's direction on a working farm.Daily pre-shift inspections (fluids, tires, lights, hitches) — complete per the operation's checklist.Hitching and unhitching of common implements — perform without supervisor prompting on routine equipment.Personal protective equipment (rollover protection, hearing, respirators) — apply consistently.Field maps and assignment sheets — read and follow on a defined parcel.Refueling and basic lubrication — perform per the manufacturer's intervals.Daily logs and acreage tallies — record accurately for the manager.Routine PTO operation and safety — follow without exception.Equipment storage and weather protection — execute per the operation's standards.Two-way-radio communications with the boss and crew — use clearly during operations.
developing
Tillage, planting, and harvest operations — execute independently on routine row crops or hay.GPS guidance and autosteer systems — set up and operate on tractors and combines.Sprayer calibration and field application — perform under a licensed applicator's plan.Combine settings (concave, fan, sieve) — adjust for crop and field conditions with light supervision.Routine equipment troubleshooting (sensors, belts, drives) — perform with documented checklists.Hay baling and stacking — operate balers, accumulators, and stackers across a season.Field-edge and headland management — execute with appropriate set-out and turning patterns.Crew coordination during peak operations — communicate with grain-cart and truck drivers.Implement changeovers and tool-bar adjustments — perform efficiently between fields.Junior operators and seasonal hires — train on safety, basic operation, and machine care.
proficient
Complex implements (variable-rate planters, prescription sprayers, robotic milkers) — operate at production scale.Variable-rate prescriptions from agronomy software — load, execute, and verify on planters and sprayers.Major repairs (hydraulics, drivetrain, electronics) — diagnose with technical-service support.Equipment fleets across a season — schedule, coordinate, and maintain at field-operation level.Custom-operator and contract work — manage with billing, scheduling, and quality documentation.Equipment safety and youth-operator programs — own per OSHA and ag-safety standards.Continuous-improvement projects (fuel use, downtime, fertilizer placement) — lead with measurable outcomes.Vendor and dealer relationships — manage for service, parts, and warranty.Operator teams across multiple fields or farms — supervise during planting and harvest.Capital-equipment evaluations — recommend on purchase and trade-in cycles.
advanced
Equipment strategy for a farm or custom-operation business — set across fleet, technology, and labor.Major capital decisions (new combines, sprayers, autonomous platforms) — author and defend with the owner.Precision-ag programs and data systems — integrate with agronomy, accounting, and traceability.Workforce development and operator certification — own with measurable retention.Industry standards (ASABE, equipment-manufacturer training) — contribute through committees.Crisis response (weather, breakdowns, fire) — lead at the operation level with vendor and crew coordination.Cross-farm operator pools and equipment-sharing arrangements — design and steward.Capital and operating budgets — own with executive sponsorship at the farm or company level.Talent pipelines from technical colleges and apprenticeships — build with measurable outcomes.Legacy mentorship of operators — institutionalize through training and certification.
Also known as
121 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Field Crops Harvest Machine OperatorBerry Picker Machine OperatorStraw BalerMachine MilkerHarvesterPacking Tractor Machine OperatorFarmworker, MachineFarmworker, Field Crop IFarm Machine TenderGrain Combine DriverGin OperatorCotton Picker OperatorPlanting Machine OperatorHorizontal Construction Engineer (Army 12N)ThresherCane Flume Chute OperatorPortable Feed Mill OperatorFruit Picker Machine OperatorThresher, BroomcornCrane Operator (Navy B09A)Farm Tractor OperatorSugar Cane Planter Machine OperatorReplanter Machine OperatorRake OperatorFarmworker, BulbsPlowmanCane Flume Feeding Machine OperatorCane Cutter Machine OperatorChopper OperatorGrowth-Media Mixer, MushroomGround Crew ApplicatorSugar Cane Planting Equipment OperatorGrain ThresherCotton BalerFertilizing Machine OperatorFarm-Machine OperatorCane PilerAgricultural Plow OperatorLime SpreaderPotato Picker