How To Become An Agricultural Research Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is an agricultural research technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

John Fulton

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an agricultural research technician. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.27 an hour? That's $50,476 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 1,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an agricultural research technician?

John Fulton

Professor, Website

Effective communication skills, both written and oral, are crucial. Build a solid technical foundation through practical experiences to acquire on-the-job skills. Develop business and management competencies, including financial and project management, as well as supply chain knowledge. Lifelong learning is essential to stay abreast of technological advancements and industry trends. Lastly, consider learning about artificial intelligence (AI) and its safe and effective integration into various job roles.

ScoreAgricultural Research TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $50,476

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 6.23%

Black or African American 9.40%

Hispanic or Latino 15.22%

Unknown 4.21%

White 64.04%

Gender

female 35.79%

male 64.21%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an agricultural research technician

Explore agricultural research technician education requirements

Most common agricultural research technician degrees

Bachelor's

72.5 %

Associate

15.9 %

Master's

7.2 %

Start to develop specific agricultural research technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Greenhouse	25.53%
Harvest	21.27%
Research Services	12.76%
USDA	9.83%
Research Projects	7.06%

Complete relevant agricultural research technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New agricultural research technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an agricultural research technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real agricultural research technician resumes.

Research agricultural research technician duties and responsibilities

Manage growth and cycle planting of grape rootstocks in USDA greenhouses.
Train extensively in institutional, CDC, and USDA mandate safety and security protocols.
Measure plant characteristics, harvest dates, and harvest and thresh these small-seed wild by domestic hybrid F1 seed by hand.
Carry out highly complex pharmaceutical and biotechnology studies while maintaining strong relationships with clients and upholding federal regulations for FDA approval.

Prepare your agricultural research technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your agricultural research technician resume.

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