Agricultural Equipment Operator
Also called: Equipment Operator, Farm Equipment Operator, Loader Operator, Rake Operator
Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking.
What does an Agricultural Equipment Operator do?
Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.
- Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
- Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.
- Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.
How to become an Agricultural Equipment Operator
Training: A high school diploma or GED, though some people start without a diploma. Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Skills you'll use
Is it a fit for you?
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
Tools and technology
Questions people ask
How much does an Agricultural Equipment Operator make?
About $41,730 a year at the U.S. median. Most earn between $33,500 and $58,650. Pay depends on the state, the employer and experience.
How long does it take to become an Agricultural Equipment Operator?
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Do you need a college degree to be an Agricultural Equipment Operator?
No four-year degree is needed. A high school diploma or GED, though some people start without a diploma.
Is Agricultural Equipment Operator a good career to get into?
O*NET lists it as a Bright Outlook career: it's expected to grow quickly or have lots of openings in the next few years.
Related careers
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Build my free kit →National wage figures via O*NET Web Services. This application incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Figures are national estimates and vary by state, employer and experience. Career details from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.