How to hire an agronomist

How to hire an agronomist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step agronomist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an agronomist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new agronomist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an agronomist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your agronomist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an agronomist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An agronomist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, agronomists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of agronomist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Agronomist	Description	Hourly rate
   Agronomist	Agricultural and food scientists research ways to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural establishments and products.	$12-50
   Horticulturist	The primary role of a horticulturist is to care, maintain, and cultivate plant propagation. Horticulturists may work in various environments with plants such as garden centers or arboretum... Show more	$10-28
   Soil Scientist	A soil scientist analyzes soil structures. They research soil's chemical properties, microorganism content, and physical composition... Show more	$28-65

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Harvest
   • Field Testing
   • Technical Support
   • Agronomy
   • PowerPoint
   • AG
   • Safety Training
   • Data Collection
   • CCA
   • Weed Control
   • Crop Production
   • GPS
   • GIS
   • Pest Management

   Check all skills

   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

   More agronomist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your agronomist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An agronomist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, agronomists' average salary in utah is 62% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level agronomists 76% less than senior-level agronomists.
   • Certifications. An agronomist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an agronomist's salary.

   Average agronomist salary

   $51,288yearly

   $24.66 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level agronomist salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average agronomist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Delaware	$70,640	$34
   2	Arizona	$67,036	$32
   3	Ohio	$65,277	$31
   4	California	$61,718	$30
   5	New York	$60,925	$29
   6	New Jersey	$56,865	$27
   7	Virginia	$53,804	$26
   8	Colorado	$49,373	$24
   9	Iowa	$46,664	$22
   10	Florida	$45,513	$22
   11	Oregon	$44,167	$21
   12	Missouri	$43,768	$21
   13	Idaho	$41,678	$20

   Average agronomist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bayer	$106,302	$51.11	62
   2	John Deere	$92,892	$44.66
   3	GPAC	$90,350	$43.44
   4	Syngenta	$86,640	$41.65	1
   5	Koch Industries	$79,262	$38.11
   6	Belcan	$68,011	$32.70
   7	North Dakota State University	$62,920	$30.25
   8	US Meat Animal Research Center	$60,487	$29.08
   9	CHS	$54,235	$26.07
   10	Monsanto	$52,979	$25.47
   11	Horizon Ag-Products	$51,642	$24.83
   12	The Fertrell Company	$51,642	$24.83
   13	Manufacturing Resources International	$51,634	$24.82
   14	Gowan Company	$51,573	$24.79
   15	AG Partners LLC	$51,562	$24.79
   16	Reiter Affiliated Companies	$51,482	$24.75
   17	Crop Quest	$51,393	$24.71	8
   18	Fulton Farms	$51,268	$24.65
   19	Glades Crop Care	$51,243	$24.64
   20	Molson Coors	$50,257	$24.16

4. Writing an agronomist job description

   An agronomist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an agronomist job description:

   Agronomist job description example

   About Us
   We invite you to help us shape the future of agriculture. At Syngenta, we believe every employee has a role to play in safely feeding the world and taking care of our planet. To support that challenge, the agronomy team is currently seeking an Agronomist in Danvers, MN.
   You will help shape the future of agriculture by:
   
   Management and execution of all phases of seed production for corn and/or soybeans to ensure a high quality, reliable, and timely supply is delivered to the facility.
   
   Develop crop placement plans that deliver agreed upon production goals.
   
   Collaborate with the Production and Processing Technology to develop best practices in seed production. Foster an operational culture founded on HSE and process improvement.
   
   Actively engage and provide technical expertise with seed growers, and production research for seed multiplication.
   
   Accountabilities
   
   Works on problems of diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors.
   
   Exercises judgment within generally defined practices and policies in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions.
   
   Develop acreage placement plans in conjunction with management.
   
   Uses professional concepts and company policies and procedures to solve a wide range of difficult problems in imaginative and practical ways.
   
   Participates in field improvement efforts
   
   Participates in six sigma field improvement activities
   
   Develop and maintain a grower evaluation system to drive increased yields and quality.
   
   Understand species and variety characteristics, seed quality standards, PLC advancement priorities, and crop delivery requirements to optimize seed availabilities.
   
   Develop and implement programs regarding agronomic issues in production fields including, weed and insect programs, and timely field inspection programs. Make pesticide and agronomic recommendations to optimize yield and COGP.
   
   Coordinates receiving activities to meet conditioning schedules in conjunction with Plant Operations.
   
   General administrative management duties including signing grower contracts, collecting - preparing - inputting data for reports, conducting QBS management meetings, pricing and managing disposition of harvest.
   
   Foster an operational culture founded on adherence to all applicable HSE and other corporate policies, procedures and guidelines. Active leadership in the “Goal Zero” campaign.
   
   Work with PPT or other specialists to test/implement new production concepts
   
   Remain current with latest production technology and develop specialized skills (i.e. systems, data analysis, equipment maintenance, fertility, irrigation management, etc.) to support seed growers.
   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find agronomists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your agronomist job on Zippia to find and recruit agronomist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit agronomists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new agronomist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the agronomist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new agronomist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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