How to become an agricultural technician
Official title: Agricultural technicians
Also called: Dairy technician, Field crop technician, Herd tester, Horticultural technician, Poultry technician
Agricultural technicians perform tests and experiments, and provide technical and scientific support to agricultural scientists, farmers and farm managers.
Main tasks
- Preparing materials and equipment for experiments, tests and analyses
- Collecting and preparing specimens such as soils, plant or animal cells, tissues or parts of animal organs for experiments, tests and analyses
- Assisting with and performing experiments, tests and analyses applying methods and techniques such as microscopy, histochemistry, chromatography, electrophoresis and spectroscopy
- Identifying pathogenic micro-organisms and insects, parasites, fungi and weeds harmful to crops and livestock, and assisting in devising methods of control
- Analysing produce to set and maintain standards of quality
- Conducting or supervising operational programmes such as fish hatchery, greenhouse and livestock production programmes
- Analysing samples of seeds for quality, purity and germination rating
- Collecting data and estimating quantities and costs of materials and labour required for projects
- Organizing maintenance and repairs of research equipment
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: HK$27,000 a month
- About 1,542,900 people in 2025, and about 1,639,100 projected by 2028. (+6.2%)
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
Do you need a degree to become an agricultural technician?
Not always. 41% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of an agricultural technician?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Census and Statistics Department (2021 Population Census): 2021 Population Census, Interactive Data Dissemination Service: working population by occupation (38 groups) and sex, age, education, income; median income and field of education (9 groups) (2021 Population Census), retrieved 4 October 2026
- Census and Statistics Department (General Household Survey): Median monthly employment earnings by occupation (9 groups), excluding foreign domestic helpers (Table 210-06317A); employed persons by occupation, age and sex (210-06307A) and by industry (210-06308A) (2025 annual (series to 2026-07)), retrieved 4 October 2026
- Labour and Welfare Bureau; tables published by C&SD: Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection to 2028: supplementary statistical tables (5 occupation groups, 17 selected industries) (2025 to 2028 (published 2026-09)), 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
Updated 4 October 2026