How To Become A County Extension Agent: What It Is and Career Path

What is a county extension agent and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

County extension agents work for institutions supported by the federal government. They educate the public about various topics, such as agriculture, community development, natural resources, youth development, consumer sciences, and many more.

Working in this position, you will facilitate discussions and educational programs to meet the needs of the local population. A big part of your job will be building relationships with people, creating local partnerships, and initiating changes on a community level. You will also be responsible for evaluating the programs you have organized and create reports on the results.

Having a bachelor's degree in social sciences, human studies, or a related area is often required. Great communication skills, a dedication to community values, and excellent organizational skills will make you successful in this role. This position can bring great personal satisfaction if you love working with people, and it will earn you around $52,422 on average per year.

ScoreCounty Extension AgentUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,379

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.67%

Asian 5.35%

Black or African American 12.36%

Hispanic or Latino 16.04%

Unknown 3.80%

White 61.77%

Gender

female 61.50%

male 38.50%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress level

5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a county extension agent

Explore county extension agent education requirements

Most common county extension agent degrees

Bachelor's

69.9 %

Master's

20.9 %

Associate

6.1 %

Start to develop specific county extension agent skills

Skills	Percentages
Consumer Sciences	25.37%
Natural Resources	17.29%
Food Safety	8.15%
County Government	7.35%
Community Development	6.93%

Complete relevant county extension agent training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New county extension agents 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 a county extension agent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real county extension agent resumes.

Research county extension agent duties and responsibilities

Develop, implement and evaluate educational programs relating to commercial and consumer horticulture IPM including field demonstration trials.
Design and implement community trash disposal, recycling and composting project.

Prepare your county extension agent resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your county extension agent resume.

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