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Agronomist vs plant pathologist

The differences between agronomists and plant pathologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an agronomist and a plant pathologist. Additionally, a plant pathologist has an average salary of $79,668, 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 a plant pathologist are plant pathology, molecular biology, and pathogens.

Agronomist vs plant pathologist overview

AgronomistPlant Pathologist
Yearly salary$51,288$79,668
Hourly rate$24.66$38.30
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs20828,696
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

Agronomist vs plant pathologist salary

Agronomists and plant pathologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

AgronomistPlant Pathologist
Average salary$51,288$79,668
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $104,000Between $52,000 And $121,000
Highest paying CityWilmington, DEEast Hartford, CT
Highest paying stateConnecticutConnecticut
Best paying companyBayerBioSafe Systems
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between agronomist and plant pathologist education

There are a few differences between an agronomist and a plant pathologist in terms of educational background:

AgronomistPlant Pathologist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorPlant SciencesBotany
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Agronomist vs plant pathologist demographics

Here are the differences between agronomists' and plant pathologists' demographics:

AgronomistPlant Pathologist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 83.6% Female, 16.4%Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.7% Unknown, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, 5.9% Asian, 9.4% White, 78.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage19%19%

Differences between agronomist and plant pathologist duties and responsibilities

Agronomist example responsibilities.

  • Lead a 4 to 8 man teams (depending on location) in construction of greenhouse and irrigation systems.
  • Lead all agronomy relate functions including fertility management, irrigation.
  • Perform routine and recurring techniques using a variety of specialize equipment such as autoclaves, microscopes, pipettes, and centrifuges.
  • Pass the Iowa CCA exam.
  • Use maps efficiently and GPS technology.
  • Follow USDA mainland shipment laws and regulations
  • Show more

Plant pathologist example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and manage pathology, microbiology and biochemistry laboratory.
  • Work with greenhouse and field crew personnel in a plant research and seed production environment.
  • Identify the compounds using NMR, IR, and mass spectral data.
  • Supervise the whole agricultural operation including guayule shrub planting, production, and harvest.
  • Characterize a wide variety of microorganisms through substrate utilization, volatile fatty acid analysis, and specific growth rates.
  • Direct and manage breeding efforts of specialty oil Canola varieties with superior agronomics that expand DAS recognition in the industry.

Agronomist vs plant pathologist skills

Common agronomist skills
  • Harvest, 31%
  • Field Testing, 16%
  • Technical Support, 12%
  • Agronomy, 12%
  • PowerPoint, 8%
  • AG, 3%
Common plant pathologist skills
  • Plant Pathology, 32%
  • Molecular Biology, 16%
  • Pathogens, 15%
  • USDA, 13%
  • Harvest, 12%
  • Research Results, 7%

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