How Much Do Agriculture Professionals Earn?

This is a complex and often nuanced field, and the question of what agriculture professionals earn rarely has a single answer. Compensation across the agricultural sector swings dramatically based on the specific role, the level of education required, whether the work is hands-on production or specialized business analysis, and even the geographic location of the operation.

To get a clearer picture of the earning potential, it helps to divide the industry into segments: the highly specialized/executive roles, the traditional management and technical positions, and the essential entry-level or production roles.

# Pay Spread

The breadth of salaries is one of the most striking features of the agricultural job market data. One detailed analysis covering job postings from mid-2021 through late 2023 showed the average salary across all listed agricultural jobs was around \58,685 per year**, though the **median** was slightly lower at **\53,258/year. However, this average is skewed somewhat, as only about 20% of job openings actually disclosed salary information in that dataset.

Comparing this to the general U.S. occupation average salary of $59,482 per year (as noted by Forbes in that same report), it appears that the average disclosed salary in agriculture is just slightly below the overall national average.

For a different perspective, when looking strictly at the role of an "Agricultural Worker," the reported average wage across the U.S. is strikingly low—around \2.74 per hour**, translating to roughly **\5,699 per year at the 50th percentile. This stark difference between the general average (\58k) and the specific agricultural worker wage (\6k) underscores the massive stratification within the industry based on skill and responsibility.

For instance, a comparative look at some of the figures cited for similar, non-management roles shows:

• Agricultural Inspector: $11K median salary.
• Soil and Plant Scientist: $17K median salary.
• Farm Equipment Mechanic: $9K median salary.

These comparisons highlight that while the industry demands essential physical labor, the highest financial rewards tend to cluster in roles requiring specialized scientific, financial, or managerial expertise.

# High Earners

The highest earning brackets in agriculture are typically found in roles that bridge food/plant science with commerce, finance, or advanced technology. Based on job posting analysis, the top three categories commanding the highest average salaries were:

1. Sales: Average salary of \71,573/year**, with a median of **\70,000/year.
2. Academics: Average salary of $69,488/year.
3. Lending and Finance: Average salary of $65,640/year.

It is worth noting that the average salary for remote agricultural jobs was even higher in the analyzed postings, reaching $68,952/year.

In specialized career clusters, such as those involving environmental science integrated with agriculture and forestry, advanced degrees lead to better prospects. Individuals with Doctoral or Master’s degrees are more likely to secure highly paid positions in research or university teaching. For example, in related scientific fields, a Biological Scientist might earn around \85,290** and a Biochemist **\94,270 (based on 2020 BLS data cited in one source).

Anecdotal evidence from industry professionals on social media supports this high-end clustering. One individual with a BS degree started at \50k in contract research, moving to \85k plus benefits after five years, and exceeding $100k+ after ten years as an international research scientist or agronomist for a biotech company. Agronomists working for seed companies in the Midwest also reported feeling compensated above average for their age group.

# Manager Earnings

For those managing the core operations—the Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers—the financial picture is substantial, though it varies heavily depending on the size and ownership structure of the operation.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a 2024 median annual wage of \87,980 per year** for this group, translating to **\42.30 per hour. This figure is significantly higher than the overall median wage for all occupations, which was $49,500 in 2024.

Digging deeper into the distribution for these managers:

• The lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,700.
• The highest 10 percent earned more than $156,530.

These earnings are subject to volatility, as income year-to-year is highly dependent on market fluctuations, weather, and other external risks. It is important to remember that the BLS data cited here specifically excludes self-employed farmers and ranchers, who make up the largest portion (63% in one count) of this occupation. Therefore, the true income of farm owners running their own operations is likely captured in a much wider, more variable range, which could include figures cited by private producers, such as a family farm in Brazil reporting around $200,000 USD per year for two people across soybeans, sugarcane, and beef cattle in a good year.

Agricultural managers in business administration roles—which focus more on maximizing profit, budgets, and hiring—reported an average salary of \60,902/year** with a median of **\55,535/year in the job posting data, reflecting the distinction between direct farm operation management and corporate business support.

# Specialized Government Roles

Not all high-paying agriculture jobs are tied to the farm gate or agribusiness. Federal roles that apply agricultural science to regulatory or protective fields can offer structured, competitive compensation.

For instance, the CBP Agriculture Specialist role shows a clear career ladder based on the GS pay scale, which includes a base salary plus locality pay. A specialist starting at the GS-5 level might see a total compensation around \42,870** (in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington locality area for FY 2023). However, the position is a career ladder, progressing up through **GS-12**. At the **GS-12** level, the base salary alone is **\71,099, potentially rising to over $94,199 with locality pay included. These roles also often offer overtime, premium pay for holidays/nights, and eligibility for cash awards for high performance.

# Local Rates

Geographic location plays a massive role in determining the take-home pay, even for the same job title. Looking at Louisiana, the average annual pay for a generic "Agriculture" role as of late 2025 was \40,604 per year**, or about **\19.52 per hour. This positions Louisiana near the bottom of the nation for these specific reported salaries, ranking 50th out of 50 states.

Within Louisiana, while the overall average is \40,604, there is significant wage disparity across cities. Pollock, LA, for example, showed an average salary of **\48,420**, which is nearly 20% higher than the state average. However, the report noted that the wage difference among the top 10 highest-paying cities in the state was minimal, suggesting that while moving to a high-paying metro area helps, there might be limited potential for significant advancement within that specific localized salary band.

In contrast to the general Agriculture role in Louisiana ($40,604 average), related, more defined roles show different localized averages:

• Agriculture Degree: $59,431.
• Agricultural Manager: $50,901.

This data suggests that in regional markets, specialized education (like holding an Agriculture Degree) or direct management titles command substantially higher pay than the generic "Agriculture" category.

# Worker Wages

For the agricultural workforce performing the most foundational tasks—the "Agricultural Worker"—the compensation picture is often characterized by low hourly rates and a high percentage of workers being below the national average.

As previously noted, the median wage for this group sits near \2.74 per hour**, or about **\6,000 per year. The pay scale is compressed, with the bottom 20% starting near **\1.99/hour** (\4,138/year) and the top 20% peaking around **\3.77/hour** (\7,849/year). This group earns about 46% less than careers considered similar by market standards.

The Purdue University Agricultural Job Market Report, which analyzed job postings using Google search data, identified that Non-Specialized Work had one of the lowest average annual salaries among subsectors listed, coming in at **\45,140/year**. While this \45k figure is far above the $6k figure cited by CareerExplorer, it likely represents roles that require some skill but fall outside the scientific/sales/finance categories, such as production or general operational support, which often require at least a high school diploma or mention of prior experience.

# Experience and Skill Correlation

A key takeaway from analyzing job postings is the strong correlation between required skills and the value placed on the position. Experience is paramount; the Purdue analysis found that 83.6% of agricultural job postings explicitly mentioned the requirement for prior experience. Furthermore, requirements like communication (67.8%), leadership (70.6%), and travel (58.4%) are highly sought across the board, indicating that purely technical skills are often not enough for higher-level compensation.

When assessing career progression, one common path involves working as an agricultural worker for several years to gain the necessary knowledge before moving into a manager role, which typically requires a high school diploma plus that significant related work experience.

For those entering directly from university, the data shows that a low share of postings require advanced degrees. A bachelor's degree was only explicitly mentioned in 14.4% of postings, and a PhD in just 6.4%. This suggests that for many technical and managerial tracks, on-the-ground experience can substitute for advanced formal education, especially on smaller, family-owned operations.

This observation leads to a vital consideration for individuals entering the field: the true salary ceiling appears to be directly tied to the successful application of quantitative and commercial knowledge, rather than merely possessing a degree in a biological science. While a degree in Agronomy or Animal Science shows domain knowledge, the highest reported average salaries were in Sales (\71.6k) and Lending/Finance (\65.6k), sectors that demand high-level business acumen applied to the agricultural context. A professional aiming for the upper end of the pay scale should heavily weight developing skills in sales, risk management, and financial analysis alongside their primary agricultural expertise.

# Industry Context and Sentiment

The compensation discussion is often flavored by sentiment from those working within the industry, as captured in community forums. While official data provides averages, these anecdotal reports offer context on perceived value and the reality of workload versus reward.

On one social platform thread discussing industry pay, responses showed a spectrum of realities. While some respondents engaged in large-scale, international operations reporting figures well into the six figures, others, such as those operating smaller, multi-faceted farms, reported annual net incomes as low as $15,000 per year. One participant noted that an agronomist salary might be "very good for the amount of time and effort I put into my job vs others in the general ag industry," suggesting that job satisfaction relative to compensation is a major factor for many.

The nature of farm work itself, often demanding long, seasonal hours from sunrise to sunset during planting and harvesting, means that an annual salary figure might not accurately reflect the true hourly rate for intense periods. For the self-employed, income is inseparable from the farm’s profit, which is vulnerable to unpredictable market shifts.

Finally, when considering career growth, the trend data from job postings indicates that engineering, business administration, sales, and lending/finance are the most frequently advertised categories, suggesting that the demand for professionals who can manage the business and technological sides of agriculture is currently outpacing other areas. Although the overall employment for traditional farm managers is projected to decline slightly by 2034, this is largely due to consolidation and efficiency gains, which subsequently increases the need for managers with advanced business skills who can oversee larger, more complex operations.