How to become a Precision Agriculture Technician

Official title: Precision Agriculture Technicians

Also called: Agrintelligence Specialist (Agriculture Intelligence Specialist), Agronomist, Agronomy Consultant, Crop Consultant, Crop Specialist, Precision Agriculture Analyst (Precision Ag Analyst), Precision Agriculture Specialist (Precision Ag Specialist), Precision Agronomist, Precision Farming Coordinator, Precision Technology Agronomist (Precision Tech Agronomist)

Apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to agricultural production or management activities, such as pest scouting, site-specific pesticide application, yield mapping, or variable-rate irrigation. May use computers to develop or analyze maps or remote sensing images to compare physical topography with data on soils, fertilizer, pests, or weather.

Main tasks

• Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
• Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
• Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing characteristics such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium content, pH, or micronutrients.
• Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
• Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
• Create, layer, and analyze maps showing precision agricultural data, such as crop yields, soil characteristics, input applications, terrain, drainage patterns, or field management history.
• Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
• Analyze geospatial data to determine agricultural implications of factors such as soil quality, terrain, field productivity, fertilizers, or weather conditions.

How to become one

Entry requirements for agricultural and food science technicians vary. Some employers require or prefer that candidates have an associate's or bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, agriculture, or a related field. Other employers hire candidates who have a high school diploma or the equivalent and related work experience.

Typical education to start: Associate's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Precision Agriculture Technicians.
• Certificate or associate's degree: Associate's degree. Programs such as Agriculture, General; Animal Sciences, General; Dairy Science

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $49,630 a year The middle half earn $40,950 to $63,630.
• About 19,500 people work in this job now, and about 20,600 are projected by 2035. (+5.4%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Agricultural Technicians
• Food Science Technicians
• Hydrologic Technicians
• Biological Technicians
• Chemical Technicians
• Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Precision Agriculture Technician?

Entry requirements for agricultural and food science technicians vary. Some employers require or prefer that candidates have an associate's or bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, agriculture, or a related field. Other employers hire candidates who have a high school diploma or the equivalent and related work experience.

How much does a Precision Agriculture Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $49,630 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $40,950 to $63,630.

Is a Precision Agriculture Technician a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 19,500 to about 20,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Precision Agriculture Technician?

Not always. 28% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Associate's degree; Precision Agriculture Technicians.

Will AI change the work of a Precision Agriculture Technician?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database 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.