Agricultural Engineers
Additional Information
Duties
This is what agricultural engineers do:
- Design equipment, systems, or buildings with the use of computer software.
- Airflow in a barn and runoff patterns on a field are examples of environmental elements that impact animal or crop output.
- putting equipment through its paces to verify it is both safe and reliable.
- In charge of overseeing construction and manufacturing.
- In order to achieve desired results, collaborate with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers.
Engineering in agriculture includes aquaculture, forestry, and food processing, to name a few fields of expertise. There is no end to the tasks that they can work on. While some agricultural engineers try to improve the comfort and productivity of cattle through climate control systems, others aim to improve the storage capacity and efficiency of refrigeration systems. Improved methods for disposing of animal manure are being developed by several agricultural engineers. AI and GIS systems integration in agriculture is the focus of computer programmers. For instance, they are working to increase fertilizer application efficiency or automate harvesting systems, just to name a few examples.
Education
High school students should complete math and science courses to prepare for agricultural engineering. College requires math, physics, chemistry, and biology. So, they might study business, public policy, or economics.
Entry-level agricultural and biological engineering jobs frequently require bachelor's degrees. College students can gain hands-on experience by entering engineering competitions or working on projects for internships.
Employers may prefer to hire graduates of accredited programs like ABET.
Important traits
Analytical skills Environmental, social, and economic factors must be considered by agricultural engineers.
Communication ability Agricultural engineers must be aware of their clients', workers', and team members' needs. Their suggestions for systems and solutions to problems must also be communicated.
Mathematical aptitude Agricultural engineers frequently use calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced mathematical techniques.
Thinking outside the box. Agricultural engineers work to solve problems in agriculture. Creating safer food processing equipment or reducing erosion are a few examples. Agricultural engineers must think outside the box to solve these problems.
Certification and Licensing
Agricultural engineers without a license Passing the National Board Certification Examination are required to become a PE (NBCE). Professional engineers are called "licensed engineers" (PEs). A PE can supervise engineers, approve projects, and provide direct public services. Most states require:
- Engineering and Technology Accreditation Board
- Passing the FE exam.
- 4 years of relevant work experience.
- Engineer (PE) certification.
The first FE test requires a bachelor's degree. Engineers who pass this test are usually referred to as interns or EITs (EIs). After gaining work experience, EITs and EIs can take the Principles and Practice of Engineering test (PE).
State-issued permits are not interchangeable. Most states will accept a license from another state as long as the standards meet or exceed their own. Engineers must maintain their licenses in several states by participating in continuing education. Consult your state's licensing board for details.
Advancement
Engineers just starting out are frequently mentored by more seasoned colleagues. The more difficult the project, the more self-reliant the starting engineer becomes in design, problem solving, and judgment.
After gaining expertise, agricultural engineers can lead a team of engineers and technicians. Some become engineering executives. Agricultural engineers who become sales engineers use their engineering knowledge to help customers plan, install, and use products.
Pay
The median annual wage for agricultural engineers was $84,630 in May 2024. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,020, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $132,700.
Job Projections
Employment of agricultural engineers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.