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The differences between agronomists and agricultural engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an agricultural engineer has an average salary of $68,433, which is higher than the $51,288 average annual salary of an agronomist.
The top three skills for an agronomist include harvest, field testing and technical support. The most important skills for an agricultural engineer are engineering practices, technical assistance, and water conservation.
| Agronomist | Agricultural Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $51,288 | $68,433 |
| Hourly rate | $24.66 | $32.90 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 208 | 2,766 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Agronomists are professionals who are experts in finding ways to maximize crop production from a given acreage of soil. These agronomists must maintain a deep understanding of soil productivity principles by performing experiments to determine plant nutrients and soil health. They must collaborate with farmers and crop researchers to assess the crop production of the farm and conduct a detailed analysis of crop data. Agronomists must also develop methods to protect crops from diseases, weeds, pests, and harsh climate change.
An agricultural engineer designs and constructs facilities to improve the agricultural state of a specific region. This job involves constructing buildings such as irrigation systems, production facilities, or farms. An agricultural engineer also inspects agricultural machinery, designs agricultural projects, provides cost estimates, and communicates development strategies to supervisors.
Agronomists and agricultural engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Agronomist | Agricultural Engineer | |
| Average salary | $51,288 | $68,433 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $104,000 | Between $46,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Bayer | Syngenta |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an agronomist and an agricultural engineer in terms of educational background:
| Agronomist | Agricultural Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Plant Sciences | Agricultural Engineering |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between agronomists' and agricultural engineers' demographics:
| Agronomist | Agricultural Engineer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 9.3% White, 73.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 13.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 19% | 13% |