Agricultural Production Services Workers

How to become an Agricultural Extension Officer

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 农业技术员

Also called: Crop Production Technician, Horticulture Technician, Livestock Technician, Aquaculture Technician, Medicinal Herb Production Technician, Farm Machinery Technician, Agricultural Chemicals Technician, Fertiliser Formulator, Feed Formulator, Tea Garden Manager, Bee Pollination Worker, Pesticide Use Adviser

Spreads production techniques in farming, forestry, livestock and fisheries and gives producers technical support.

Main tasks

Collecting information on production techniques, supply and demand and farm supplies and helping producers plan
Guiding farmers in choosing crop and livestock varieties and demonstrating the techniques that go with them
Teaching how to judge the nutrition of plants and animals and diagnose and control pests and diseases
Guiding growers in choosing fertilisers and pesticides and showing how to fertilise from soil and leaf tests and mix and apply pesticides
Spreading tree planting and forest management techniques and guiding and supervising planting projects
Recommending new farm machinery and facilities and showing how to use and maintain them
Giving technical guidance on the farm and helping solve problems with planning and techniques
Spreading standard production methods and answering questions on farming laws and regulations
Writing farming technical materials and organising training

Ways in

Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Agricultural Biotechnology (470103). Vocational major 470103 Agricultural Biotechnology (农业生物技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Crop Production and Business Management (410102). Vocational major 410102 Crop Production and Business Management (作物生产与经营管理), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Agricultural Economic Organisation Management; Family Farm Grain Production and Business.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Ecological Agriculture Technology (410104). Vocational major 410104 Ecological Agriculture Technology (生态农业技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Agricultural Products E-commerce Operations; Family Farm Grain Production and Business.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Horticultural Technology (410105). Vocational major 410105 Horticultural Technology (园艺技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Protected Vegetable Production; Agricultural Products Supply Chain and Brand Management.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Modern Agricultural Technology (410103). Vocational major 410103 Modern Agricultural Technology (现代农业技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Family Farm Grain Production and Business; Protected Vegetable Production; Drone Operation Applications.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Plant Protection and Quarantine Technology (410106). Vocational major 410106 Plant Protection and Quarantine Technology (植物保护与检疫技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Drone Operation Applications; Family Farm Grain Production and Business.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Protected Agriculture and Equipment (410112). Vocational major 410112 Protected Agriculture and Equipment (设施农业与装备), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: IoT Smart Agriculture System Integration and Applications; Drone Aerial Spraying.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Seed Production and Business (410101). Vocational major 410101 Seed Production and Business (种子生产与经营), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Family Farm Grain Production and Business.

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥52,200 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥39,800 to CN¥66,000. One in ten earn less than CN¥30,300 and one in ten more than CN¥94,500.
This is the figure for the mid group Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery Support Workers, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥56,160 a year (2025), middle half CN¥44,640 to CN¥74,166.
This is the figure for the mid group Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery Support Workers, not for this job alone.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery Support Workers holds 0.19% of everyone employed in China; 40.5% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
18.7% are under 35, 50.7% are 35 to 54 and 30.6% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 45 to 49.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Agricultural Extension Officer?

Ways in include: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Agricultural Biotechnology (470103); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Crop Production and Business Management (410102).

How much does an Agricultural Extension Officer earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥52,200 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery Support Workers. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥56,160 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of an Agricultural Extension Officer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026