Reviewed September 2026 against USDA Economic Research Service, USDA/Purdue University, and USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service data.
Try it: Run your own numbers →
USDA and Purdue University project 104,766 annual job openings in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, and environment (FARNRE) fields from 2025 through 2030 — split roughly 22,298 a year in science and engineering roles and 42,855 a year in business and management roles. Below is the full agricultural careers list: what each job pays according to USDA wage data, what it requires, and what to do next if you’ve just finished a BSc in Agriculture and are deciding among agricultural technology jobs, research, extension, or policy.
Table of Contents
- What Counts as an Agricultural Science Career, and Who’s Hiring
- Agricultural Careers List: 10 Jobs
- 1. Soil & Crop Scientist
- 2. Plant Breeder & Geneticist
- 3. Entomologist & Plant Pathologist
- 4. Precision Agriculture Specialist (Agricultural Technology Jobs)
- 5. Forester & Agroforestry Expert
- 6. Land Restoration Specialist (Mining/Reclamation)
- 7. Extension Specialist/Educator
- 8. Quality Assurance & Postharvest Physiologist
- 9. Food Safety & Compliance Specialist
- 10. Agricultural Policy Analyst
- Try it: Run your own numbers
- Comparison Table: Wages, Openings & Education
- After a BSc in Agriculture: What Next
- Essential Skills & Technologies
- Tips for Landing a Career in Agricultural Science
- Farmonaut Satellite Tools for Agricultural Careers
- FAQ
What Counts as an Agricultural Science Career, and Who’s Hiring
Agricultural wage and salary employment in the United States stood at 1.18 million in 2024, according to the USDA Economic Research Service, and the broader agricultural and food sectors employed 22.1 million people as of 2022 (USDA ERS). That second figure includes everything from processing and retail to research, so the careers list below focuses specifically on the science, technology, and management roles people mean when they search “careers in agricultural science” — not farm labor itself.
Between 2010 and 2024, agricultural sector employment grew 10%, and crop support services alone added 48,400 new jobs in that period (USDA ERS Farm Labor). That crop-support growth is largely where agricultural technology jobs — precision ag, GIS, remote sensing, agronomy consulting — have concentrated, since these firms scout, spray, and advise using data platforms rather than owning land themselves.
Agricultural Careers List: 10 Jobs
This agricultural careers list covers the roles most searched under “agricultural science careers” and “agricultural technology jobs” — each with what the work involves, the tools used, and where wage or openings data exists.
Before you read further: most of these roles want field or lab experience before a first full-time hire, even at entry level. Internships and research assistantships during a degree are the standard route in, not an optional extra.
1. Soil & Crop Scientist
Soil and crop scientists study soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial activity to determine how soil composition and moisture affect crop growth. Their work directly shapes fertilizer recommendations, erosion control, and carbon sequestration planning on working farms.
- ✔ Core work: Soil sampling, lab analysis, and field trials to guide nutrient management
- 📊 Tools: GIS, soil sensors, and remote-sensing platforms for field-level assessment
- ⚠ Constraint: Soil variability within a single field means findings from one trial season rarely generalize without repeat testing
- 🔗 Related tool: Satellite-based carbon footprinting for soil and land management
2. Plant Breeder & Geneticist
Plant breeders and geneticists develop crop varieties with improved yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance, and nutritional quality, working through genetic mapping, tissue culture, and multi-season field trials.
- ✔ Core work: Trait selection, crossbreeding programs, and multi-year variety trials
- 📊 Tools: Genetic databases, statistical trial-design software, field trial monitoring
- ⚠ Constraint: Regulatory review for new varieties, especially genetically modified lines, can add years to release timelines
- 🔗 Related tool: Satellite-based farm management for field trial monitoring
3. Entomologist & Plant Pathologist
These agricultural science careers focus on diagnosing and controlling pests, diseases, and invasive species. Entomologists track insect population dynamics; plant pathologists identify and manage disease outbreaks — both feeding into integrated pest management (IPM) plans that reduce blanket chemical use.
- ✔ Core work: Field scouting, lab diagnostics, and IPM program design
- 📊 Tools: Remote sensing for stress detection, pest population modeling
- ⚠ Constraint: Pest and pathogen pressure shifts with weather and pesticide resistance, so surveillance is continuous, not one-time
- 🔗 Related tool: Satellite stress maps to flag fields at elevated pest/disease risk
4. Precision Agriculture Specialist (Agricultural Technology Jobs)
This is the role most people mean by “agricultural technology jobs”: specialists who deploy satellite imagery, IoT soil sensors, and drones to monitor moisture, nutrient status, and crop health at the sub-field level, then translate that data into input decisions. Crop support services — the segment that includes most precision-ag consulting firms — added 48,400 jobs between 2010 and 2024 (USDA ERS), making it one of the fastest-growing corners of the agricultural careers list.
- ✔ Core work: Variable-rate input mapping, sensor network management, yield data analysis
- 📊 Tools: Satellite/drone imagery, IoT sensors, AI-based advisory platforms
- ⚠ Constraint: Upfront hardware and software costs mean adoption still concentrates on larger operations
- 🔗 Related tool: Satellite monitoring for tracking input use and resource efficiency
5. Forester & Agroforestry Expert
Foresters and agroforestry professionals manage land where trees, crops, and livestock intersect, designing systems that improve soil fertility, water retention, and biodiversity alongside timber or crop output.
- ✔ Core work: Spatial planning, reforestation tracking, mixed-use land design
- 📊 Tools: Satellite imagery for canopy and land-cover change, ecological modeling
- ⚠ Constraint: Balancing commercial timber harvest schedules against ecological targets requires multi-decade planning horizons
- 🔗 Related tool: Satellite advisory for plantation and forest management
6. Land Restoration Specialist (Mining/Reclamation)
Land restoration specialists design and monitor soil restoration, revegetation, and water quality recovery on land affected by mining or industrial use, combining soil science, hydrology, and environmental engineering.
- ✔ Core work: Baseline field studies, remediation design, post-implementation monitoring
- 📊 Tools: Satellite-based environmental monitoring for compliance reporting, hydrology models
- ⚠ Constraint: Reclamation timelines commonly span years, and environmental standards can change mid-project
- 🔗 Related tool: Satellite-driven carbon footprinting for mining reclamation sites
7. Agricultural Extension Specialist/Educator
Extension specialists translate research on soil testing, irrigation scheduling, pest management, and postharvest handling into practical guidance for working farmers, through on-farm training, workshops, and increasingly, remote digital advisory.
- ✔ Core work: Farmer training, field demonstrations, digital advisory support
- 📊 Tools: Mobile advisory apps, remote monitoring platforms for tracking adoption
- ⚠ Constraint: Effectiveness depends on farmer trust built over repeated interactions, not one-off sessions
- 🔗 Related tool: Digitized extension: monitor, train, and support via satellite and AI tools
8. Quality Assurance & Postharvest Physiologist
These roles study how handling, storage, and processing affect nutrient content, flavor, and shelf life, developing postharvest technologies — cold storage design, packaging, smart sensors — that cut losses across the supply chain.
- ✔ Core work: Storage protocol design, shelf-life testing, hazard assessment
- 📊 Tools: IoT sensors for cold-chain monitoring, data logging systems
- ⚠ Constraint: Export market access often hinges on specific certification standards that differ by destination country
- 🔗 Related tool: Blockchain and satellite-based traceability for QA transparency
9. Food Safety & Compliance Specialist
Food safety specialists ensure compliance with safety regulations, certifications, and traceability standards, running hazard analysis, building safety protocols, and implementing systems that track food from origin to retailer — including digital record-keeping and blockchain-based systems for recall response.
- ✔ Core work: Hazard analysis, protocol development, on-site inspection
- 📊 Tools: Blockchain traceability, digital record systems, AI-assisted recall tracking
- ⚠ Constraint: Standards are updated periodically by regulators, requiring recurring recertification
- 🔗 Related tool: Farmonaut product traceability systems for food safety
10. Agricultural Policy Analyst
Policy analysts examine regulations, commodity programs, and sustainability policy affecting food, farming, and environmental outcomes, combining data analysis and stakeholder engagement to draft recommendations on issues from pesticide use to conservation incentive programs.
- ✔ Core work: Economic/environmental modeling, stakeholder analysis, policy drafting
- 📊 Tools: Statistical modeling software, government and industry policy databases
- ⚠ Constraint: Recommendations must reconcile competing federal, state, and industry interests
- 🔗 Related tool: Satellite-based verification supporting loan and insurance policy evaluation
Comparison Table: Wages, Openings & Education
The table below anchors each role to a published wage or openings figure where one exists, and states plainly where USDA does not publish a role-specific number.
| Job Title | Closest Published USDA Wage/Openings Benchmark | Primary Technology | Typical Education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil & Crop Scientist | Falls under 22,298/yr science & engineering openings (2025-2030) | GIS, soil sensors | Master’s/PhD (Soil Science/Agronomy) |
| Plant Breeder & Geneticist | Falls under 22,298/yr science & engineering openings (2025-2030) | Genetic databases, field trials | Master’s/PhD (Plant Sciences/Genetics) |
| Entomologist & Plant Pathologist | Falls under 22,298/yr science & engineering openings (2025-2030) | Remote sensing, lab diagnostics | Master’s/PhD (Biology/Plant Pathology) |
| Precision Agriculture Specialist | Agricultural managers: $30.70/hr (2024, USDA ERS) | Drones, IoT sensors, satellite imagery | Bachelor’s/Master’s (Ag Tech/Engineering) |
| Forester & Agroforestry Expert | Not separately published; see USDA/Purdue link for degree-level tables | GIS, ecological models | Bachelor’s/Master’s (Forestry/Ecology) |
| Land Restoration Specialist | Not separately published; see USDA/Purdue link for degree-level tables | Satellite monitoring, hydrology models | Master’s (Env. Science/Soil Science) |
| Extension Specialist/Educator | Crop, nursery & greenhouse workers: $18.24/hr (2024, USDA ERS) as a field-level floor | Digital advisory platforms | Bachelor’s/Master’s (Ag. Extension/Ed.) |
| QA & Postharvest Physiologist | Falls under 42,855/yr business & management openings (2025-2030) | IoT sensors, packaging tech | Bachelor’s/Master’s (Food Science) |
| Food Safety & Compliance Specialist | Falls under 42,855/yr business & management openings (2025-2030) | Blockchain, compliance software | Bachelor’s/Master’s (Food Safety/Public Health) |
| Agricultural Policy Analyst | Falls under 42,855/yr business & management openings (2025-2030) | Statistical/policy modeling | Master’s/PhD (Ag Policy/Economics) |
After a BSc in Agriculture: What Next
“After BSc Agriculture what next” is one of the most common questions graduates search, and the honest answer is that the degree itself qualifies you for entry into several of the tracks above, but which one you pick determines your next move:
- Go into fieldwork/technology immediately: Precision agriculture, extension work, and QA/postharvest roles typically hire at bachelor’s level — apply directly, ideally with an internship or field research project already on your resume.
- Pursue a master’s or PhD: Soil/crop science, plant breeding, entomology/pathology, and policy analyst roles generally expect graduate credentials — decide this before your final undergraduate year so you can line up thesis or research-assistant experience that supports an application.
- Add a technical certification: Remote sensing, GIS, or food-safety certifications can substitute for some of the graduate-level gap if you’re aiming at agricultural technology jobs rather than lab science roles.
- Target crop support services specifically: This segment added 48,400 jobs between 2010 and 2024 (USDA ERS) and is where most precision-ag and agronomy-consulting employers sit — search job boards using that term alongside “agronomist” or “crop consultant.”
For a fast gut-check on where the openings are concentrated by category, the science-vs-management split from USDA/Purdue (22,298 vs. 42,855 annual openings) is the clearest published signal: management-track roles have roughly double the annual opening volume of pure science roles, which matters if you’re choosing between a research-heavy path and an operations/agribusiness path straight out of a BSc.
Essential Skills, Technologies, and Career Map
- Scientific fundamentals: Biology, ecology, chemistry, genetics
- Technology proficiency: GIS, remote sensing, IoT hardware, blockchain
- Data analysis: Statistics, modeling, large dataset management
- Field & laboratory skills: Sampling, diagnostics, environmental measurement
- Communication: Extension training, research publication, policy drafting
- Internships — hands-on field and lab training
- Graduate education — specialization and research
- Professional certifications — agronomy, food safety, or pest management
- Technology platform experience — API integration for analytics and reporting
- Entrepreneurship — agtech startups or independent consulting
Access satellite-based agricultural analytics through the Farmonaut API.
See the Developer Documentation
Tips for Succeeding in Jobs for Agricultural Science
- ✔ Build a foundation: Take core coursework in biological sciences and agronomy.
- 📊 Get hands-on: Pursue field internships or lab-based undergraduate projects — USDA/Purdue’s own openings data favors candidates who already have applied experience.
- 🌱 Track the wage data: NASS republishes its Farm Labor report every May and November (USDA NASS), so check it twice a year rather than relying on a single figure from a job posting.
- 💡 Learn the technology stack: Train on platforms like the Farmonaut App for hands-on exposure to satellite-based analytics.
- 🎯 Network deliberately: Join professional societies tied to your target track — soil science, entomology, or agricultural economics societies each surface different openings.
Quick self-check calculator: which openings track fits your timeline?
Enter your target start year and whether you’re pursuing graduate study to see how many annual FARNRE openings (science/engineering vs. business/management) you’d be competing for in that track, based on USDA/Purdue’s 2025-2030 figures.
Run your own numbers
Assumes USDA/Purdue’s 2025-2030 annual openings figures hold steady year to year within that window; it does not account for regional variation, specific employer demand, or openings outside the FARNRE category. It is a scale reference, not a job guarantee — re-run it against a new USDA/Purdue forecast once the 2025-2030 window closes.
Farmonaut Satellite Tools for Agricultural Careers
Farmonaut builds the satellite, AI, and blockchain-powered tools that many of the roles above now use day to day:
- ✔ Real-time crop, soil, and resource monitoring
- 📊 AI-driven decision support for farming, forestry, mining, and more
- 🌱 Environmental impact tracking & carbon management (see Carbon Footprinting)
- 🔗 Blockchain-based traceability tools (Product Traceability)
- 💡 Subscription models for individuals, businesses, and government agencies
Explore large-scale farm management with our web/mobile apps, or support rural extension outreach via satellite-driven analytics.
For land loan or insurance verification workflows relevant to agricultural policy and finance careers, see Farmonaut’s satellite-based loan and insurance tools.
FAQ: Agricultural Careers List
What’s a full agricultural careers list beyond just “scientist” roles?
The list spans soil/crop science, plant breeding, entomology/pathology, precision agriculture, forestry/agroforestry, land restoration, extension, postharvest QA, food safety, and policy analysis — ten distinct tracks, each detailed above with its own tools and constraints.
Which agricultural technology jobs are growing fastest?
Precision agriculture and remote-sensing roles sit inside crop support services, which added 48,400 jobs between 2010 and 2024 — faster growth than the 10% sector-wide employment increase over the same period (USDA ERS).
What degrees are required for agricultural science careers?
Bachelor’s degrees are the entry minimum for field, technology, and QA roles. Soil/crop science, plant breeding, entomology/pathology, and policy analyst roles generally expect a Master’s or PhD. See the comparison table above for the typical requirement by role.
After a BSc Agriculture, what next — grad school or a job?
Both are valid; the choice depends on which of the two USDA/Purdue tracks you’re targeting. Science and engineering roles (22,298 annual openings, 2025-2030) generally expect graduate study; business and management roles (42,855 annual openings) more often hire straight from a bachelor’s. See the “After a BSc in Agriculture” section above for a fuller breakdown.
How do I use satellite technology in an agricultural career?
Precision agriculture specialists, foresters, land restoration specialists, and extension educators all use satellite platforms for monitoring and advisory work. Visit the Farmonaut App or the API platform to see how satellite data feeds into field-level decisions.
What industries hire for agricultural science careers?
Agriculture, forestry, food processing, research institutions, technology startups, government agencies, extension programs, and agricultural finance all recruit from this careers list.
The agricultural careers list above covers ten roles with distinct entry paths — use the comparison table and the “After a BSc” section to pick a track, then check USDA/Purdue and USDA NASS directly for the openings and wage figures current when you’re reading this.
