Agriculture Majors

agriculture majors - combine harvesting

Agriculture Majors

Agriculture Business and Management

Agriculture Mechanization

Agricultural Production Operations

Agricultural Public Services

Animal Sciences

Applied Horticulture/Horticultural Business Services

Food Science and Technology

International Agriculture

Plant Sciences

Soil Sciences

Courses in an agricultural degree program could include-

  • Agricultural Business
  • Agricultural Mechanics
  • Animal Science
  • Environmental Services
  • Food Science
  • Plant Science
  • Natural Resources
  • Hydrology
  • Agricultural Economics

Jobs and Careers in Agriculture

As there are a wide variety of careers in agriculture, so are there a variety of companies who hire people in these careers. Many people are employed by government agencies (Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Bureau of Agriculture Research, Bureau of Plant Industry), consulting firms and agriculture machinery manufacturing. Other opportunities include:

  • Farms and ranches
  • Processing plants
  • Laboratories
  • Greenhouses
  • Pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry
  • Educational institutions and community education organizations
  • Animal breeders
  • Zoos and aquariums

Learn More About the Field of Agriculture

Professional associations are groups of professionals dedicated to topics in specific fields. Professional associations provide a wealth of online resources, some of which are geared specifically towards students. These organizations typically also host conferences and events, providing great opportunities for learning and networking across your field of interest.

A small sampling of relevant organizations are-

Agriculture Majors Data from the US Department of Labor

Agriculture degree, 2018

Data - Agriculture

  • Employment 610,070
  • Median wage $50,000
  • Percent employed part time 13%
  • Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree 40%
  • Percent with an advanced degree 29%

Types of agriculture majors, 2018

Agriculture majors - Major share

  • Animal sciences 26%
  • Agriculture production and management 19%
  • General agriculture 18%
  • Plant science and agronomy 16%
  • Food science 8%
  • Other 12%

Note - The sum of percentages by major may not total 100 due to rounding.

Employment distribution of workers with an agriculture degree, by occupational group, 2018

Occupational group - Occupational group share

  • Management occupations 23%
  • Sales and related occupations 11%
  • Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations 10%
  • Educational instruction and library occupations 8%
  • Business and financial operations occupations 8%
  • Other 40%

Note - The sum of percentages by major may not total 100 due to rounding.

Top-employing occupations for workers with an agriculture degree

Occupational Outlook Handbook profile - % Growth, projected 2019–29

  • Health specialties teachers, postsecondary 21%
  • Veterinarians 16%
  • Soil and plant scientists 7%
  • Elementary school teachers, except special education 4%
  • Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse 4%
  • Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products 1%
  • Retail salespersons -1%
  • Personal service managers, all other; entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling; and managers -2%
  • First-line supervisors of retail sales workers -5%
  • Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers -6%

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree, Agriculture.

What Can You Do With An Agriculture Major/Degree?

Jobs and Careers in Agriculture

Occupational Outlook Handbook

O*Net

As there are a wide variety of careers in agriculture, so are there a variety of companies who hire people in these careers. Many people are employed by government agencies (Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Bureau of Agriculture Research, Bureau of Plant Industry), consulting firms and agriculture machinery manufacturing. Other opportunities include:

  • Farms and ranches
  • Processing plants
  • Laboratories
  • Greenhouses
  • Pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry
  • Educational institutions and community education organizations
  • Animal breeders
  • Zoos and aquariums

Some job titles one can pursue with an agriculture degree

  • Agricultural consultant
  • Estate manager
  • Farm manager
  • Fish farm manager
  • Plant breeder/geneticist
  • Rural practice surveyor
  • Soil scientist
  • Agricultural communication/marketer
  • Food scientist
  • Insect biologist
  • Agronomist
  • Agricultural loan officer
  • Farm labor specialist
  • Agricultural economist
  • Crop management consultant
  • Aquaculturist
  • Rural development specialist
  • Outdoor recreation manager
  • Plant and animal inspector

Some of the duties you might be expected to perform in some of the above listed positions

  • Conduct research and experiments to improve the productivity and sustainability of field crops and farm animals
  • Create new food products and develop new and better ways to process, package, and deliver them
  • Study the composition of soil as it relates to plant growth, research ways to improve it
  • Communicate research findings to the scientific community, food producers, and the public
  • Collect water and soil samples to test for certain properties, such as the pH or pollution levels
  • Analyze data on the environmental impacts of pollution, erosion, drought, and other problems
  • Research ways to minimize the negative impacts of erosion, sedimentation, or pollution on the environment
  • Use computer models to forecast future water supplies, the spread of pollution, floods, and other events
  • Evaluate the feasibility of water-related projects, such as hydroelectric power plants, irrigation systems, and wastewater treatment facilities