1. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
What is an Agricultural Specialist?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an agricultural specialist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.93 an hour? That's $49,776 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 1,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does an Agricultural Specialist Do
There are certain skills that many agricultural specialists have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed physical stamina, interpersonal skills and analytical skills.
How To Become an Agricultural Specialist
If you're interested in becoming an agricultural specialist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 64.6% of agricultural specialists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 14.6% of agricultural specialists have master's degrees. Even though most agricultural specialists have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Agricultural Specialist Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an agricultural specialist can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as consultant, progress to a title such as manager and then eventually end up with the title branch manager.
Average Salary for an Agricultural Specialist
Agricultural Specialists in America make an average salary of $49,776 per year or $24 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $81,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $30,000 per year.
Average Agricultural Specialist Salary
$49,776 Yearly$23.93 hourly
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Agricultural Specialist Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active agricultural specialist jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where agricultural specialists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Agricultural Specialist Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 990 | $61,959 |
| 2 | Texas | 836 | $60,723 |
| 3 | Florida | 813 | $44,643 |
| 4 | New York | 577 | $75,106 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 501 | $55,459 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 473 | $46,284 |
| 7 | Illinois | 434 | $59,543 |
| 8 | Georgia | 413 | $57,836 |
| 9 | Ohio | 371 | $55,243 |
| 10 | Virginia | 369 | $51,788 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 367 | $61,916 |
| 12 | Michigan | 314 | $67,774 |
| 13 | Maryland | 281 | $60,294 |
| 14 | New Jersey | 278 | $74,863 |
| 15 | Arizona | 273 | $47,619 |
| 16 | Washington | 253 | $45,108 |
| 17 | Indiana | 249 | $46,329 |
| 18 | Iowa | 244 | $48,091 |
| 19 | Minnesota | 241 | $47,066 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 227 | $57,607 |
| 21 | Missouri | 223 | $47,782 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 210 | $48,321 |
| 23 | Colorado | 203 | $46,960 |
| 24 | Oregon | 187 | $46,480 |
| 25 | Alabama | 180 | $43,776 |
| 26 | Louisiana | 157 | $50,501 |
| 27 | South Carolina | 153 | $49,221 |
| 28 | Utah | 137 | $48,526 |
| 29 | Kansas | 136 | $46,371 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | 127 | $56,907 |
| 31 | Nebraska | 124 | $47,302 |
| 32 | Kentucky | 119 | $49,837 |
| 33 | Connecticut | 118 | $61,792 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 111 | $56,775 |
| 35 | Nevada | 104 | $52,852 |
| 36 | Mississippi | 85 | $49,009 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 79 | $61,361 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 77 | $60,943 |
| 39 | Hawaii | 76 | $45,825 |
| 40 | Idaho | 70 | $43,730 |
| 41 | Delaware | 69 | $59,455 |
| 42 | West Virginia | 65 | $54,915 |
| 43 | Montana | 57 | $47,487 |
| 44 | South Dakota | 53 | $48,044 |
| 45 | North Dakota | 51 | $51,041 |
| 46 | Alaska | 47 | $50,380 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | 46 | $62,315 |
| 48 | Maine | 44 | $54,370 |
| 49 | Vermont | 40 | $58,804 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 40 | $41,957 |
Top Colleges for Agricultural Specialists
2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
7. University of Minnesota - Crookston
Crookston, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,822
Enrollment
1,834
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
Top Skills For an Agricultural Specialist
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 14.8% of agricultural specialists listed commodities on their resume, but soft skills such as physical stamina and interpersonal skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Agricultural Specialist Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Agricultural Specialist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Agricultural Specialist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Agricultural Specialist Demographics
Agricultural Specialist Gender Distribution
Male
76%
Female
24%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among agricultural specialists, 24.3% of them are women, while 75.7% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among agricultural specialists is White, which makes up 61.9% of all agricultural specialists.
- The most common foreign language among agricultural specialists is Spanish at 52.4%.
Online Courses For Agricultural Specialist That You May Like
Advertising Disclosure
1. Agriculture, Economics and Nature
Sound economic thinking is crucial for farmers because they depend on good economic decision making to survive. Governments depend on economic information to make good policy decisions on behalf of the community. This course will help you to contribute to better decision making by farmers, or by agencies servicing agriculture, and it will help you to understand why farmers respond to policies and economic opportunities in the ways they do. You can use this course to improve your skills and...
See More on Coursera2. Sustainable Agricultural Land Management
This course will cover the agricultural and urban water quality issues in Florida, their bases, land and nutrient management strategies, and the science and policy behind the best management practices (BMPs). Students will learn to evaluate BMP research and analyze its role in determining practices and policies that protect water quality...
See More on Coursera3. Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management
Learn about the impact of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production by understanding the science of growth, immunity, and infection and by learning the problem-solving skills needed to advance animal health and food production through optimal management practices. There is a growing global need in agricultural production for a workforce that is capable of integrating knowledge of animal health and production with an understanding of consumer preferences in the context of...
See More on CourseraJob type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary
Best States For an Agricultural Specialist
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an agricultural specialist. The best states for people in this position are New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Rhode Island. Agricultural specialists make the most in New York with an average salary of $75,106. Whereas in New Jersey and Michigan, they would average $74,863 and $67,774, respectively. While agricultural specialists would only make an average of $62,315 in Rhode Island, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. New York
Total Agricultural Specialist Jobs: 577
Highest 10% Earn:
$129,000
Location Quotient:
1.09
$75,106
Avg. Salary
2. Michigan
Total Agricultural Specialist Jobs: 314
Highest 10% Earn:
$115,000
Location Quotient:
0.98
$67,774
Avg. Salary
3. New Hampshire
Total Agricultural Specialist Jobs: 77
Highest 10% Earn:
$104,000
Location Quotient:
1.07
$60,943
Avg. Salary
How Do Agricultural Specialist Rate Their Jobs?
Top Agricultural Specialist Employers
Most Common Employers For Agricultural Specialist
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Homeland Security | $85,829 | $41.26 | 30 |
| 2 | Peace Corps | $81,658 | $39.26 | 1 |
| 3 | USAID | $76,354 | $36.71 | 2 |
| 4 | Munro Shoes | $71,244 | $34.25 | 2 |
| 5 | USDA | $66,730 | $32.08 | 2 |
| 6 | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | $57,631 | $27.71 | 28 |
| 7 | Minnesota State Fair | $57,263 | $27.53 | 3 |
| 8 | Virginia State University | $54,883 | $26.39 | 2 |
| 9 | Monsanto | $54,593 | $26.25 | 1 |
| 10 | Arkansas State Parks | $53,267 | $25.61 | 3 |
What Are The Best Companies To Work For An Agricultural Specialist?
Brian Warnick Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Services, Professor of Agricultural Education, Utah State University
There are a wide variety of options for students completing degrees in agriculture and the related sciences. These options range from positions with sizeable agricultural production and processing corporations to small, local firms and opportunities in government agencies and entrepreneurial ventures. The variety of options allows students to select opportunities that best meet their career objectives.Show more