How much does an agricultural engineer make?
a year · about $47 an hour
A typical agricultural engineer in the United States makes $98,590 a year, about $47 an hour, about 1.9× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
Much of the day is spent designing farm equipment, buildings, or irrigation plans on a computer. They may visit a farm to test machines, oversee construction, and plan changes with farmers and other engineers.
Did you know? Agricultural engineers may use drones to watch crops, manage irrigation, and help control pests—so some engineering work takes to the sky.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $68,060 and $166,460How do you become one?
Take math and science, then earn an agricultural-engineering bachelor’s; a direct college path may lead to U.S. work in your early 20s. Entry-level jobs need no license; a PE later usually requires FE and PE exams plus about four years’ experience.
School needed: Usually a bachelor's degree
Good for people who like building and doing and figuring things out
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, pay can differ with experience, responsibility, and whether someone has a PE license. Government, manufacturing, university, or engineering-firm jobs may pay differently, and location and specialty also matter.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Ohio ($119,250), lowest in Arkansas ($57,740).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $68,060 | $98,590 | $166,460 | about 1,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $119,250 | about 60 |
| Minnesota | $115,940 | about 60 |
| Iowa | $96,290 | about 100 |
| Texas | $95,220 | about 50 |
| Indiana | $94,730 | about 150 |
Official definition: Apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agricultural problems concerned with power and machinery, electrification, structures, soil and water conservation, and processing of agricultural products.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/agricultural-engineers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-2021.00
- www.bls.gov/oes/earnings.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- ncees.org/licensure
- nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=569
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY