The 20 Highest Paying Jobs in Agriculture / Farming

There is a stigma attached to being in the agriculture industry, as most people believe that your only real option is to spend all day long toiling in the sun barely making end’s meet.

But what these people don’t realize is that the field of agriculture has advanced a lot over the years, to the point where you have a lot more opportunities than you’d think.

If you still have any doubts about this, keep in mind that there are well over 50,000 jobs for you to pick from in the US alone, but if you do want to earn big you will have to also study hard.

Depending on where you live though, you may also have an easier time finding work after graduation, for example you will easily find work in the UK, as there is an ongoing labor shortage right now.

As such, it’s no wonder that starting a career in agriculture has become more desirable than ever before. But what can you go for if you want to guarantee a good life for yourself and your family?

As mentioned previously, there are a lot of high paying jobs in agriculture to pick from, but what are the absolute best options you can choose from? While the answer may differ depending on where you live, here are the top 20 highest paying jobs you could go for in the farming/agriculture industry:

20. Farm Manager – $48,093

Starting off small we have the farm manager position. These are the professionals that are responsible for overseeing and controlling any and all of the operations on the farm.

They are the ones in charge for planting, fertilizing and harvesting crops, on top of also managing the budget, necessary purchase materials and the overall relationship between the farm and the vendors/clients.

While they are nowhere near the best earners on our list, being a farm manager still has a lot of perks on top of also being very accessible, since you don’t need to go all the way with your education to get access to it.

19. Forester – $48,380

There are a lot of forester job openings right now, and the reason for that is because, while it is a very highly paid job, it is still a pretty lackluster option that not a lot of people consider.

Foresters are known for their conservation efforts, while also providing land management and rehabilitation.

They’re known for always striving to protect the environment, which is why you’ll often times see them monitor wildlife habitats and the agricultural effects on wildlife.

On top of that they also suppress wildfires and they do anything they can to protect the wildlife, the ecosystems and any and all agricultural land.

18. Agricultural Specialist – $53,298

In simple terms, the agricultural specialists we’re talking about here are trained Customs and Border Patrol professionals, that make sure that any and all imported products that enter the US adhere by its policies.

So, as an agricultural specialist your job will always be to locate, identify and stop any agricultural threats before they enter the country.

It is quite a stressful job that you will never run out of work for, and not the type of work that most people can handle. You need to be an expert in the field to do this, but at the very least you also get a good paycheck to make up for it too.

17. Water Treatment Specialist – $53,916

Water treatment specialists are known for supervising, performing installations and pretty much just overlooking the water purification and filtration systems around.

At the same time, they make sure that the water distribution is running smoothly and that the safety and efficacy of drinking water and water resources is running smoothly. As such, they earn a slightly heftier paycheck by the end of the year.

16. Food Technologist – $55,804

As the name implies, a food technologist is meant to research and analyze the chemical, biological and physical attributes of the food products that you are eating.

At the same time, they have a list of ways to make sure that these food products are safely processed, packaged and distributed to you, the customer.

It may not be the most exciting job ever, but it does more than make up for its lack of zeal through its above average annual salary.

15. Zoologist / Wildlife Biologist – $63,270

Zoologists need to introduction, as it is by far one of the most popular jobs for animal lovers. It is so popular in fact that most children want to become zoologists when they grow up due to their rising interest in the wildlife.

But regardless, what do zoologists even do? Well, zoologists and wildlife biologists need to study all of the animal and marine life they can find, as well as observing them in their natural habitats.

On top of that, they are often times employed in a program that is meant to protect one of the 26% of mammal species you can find on IUCN’s Red List. This means you’d be actively working towards saving a whole species from going extinct.

If you do want to work in this industry though, you will need to pursue an advanced zoology degree to make sure that you can even qualify in the first place.

14. Environmental Scientist – $65,058

As an environmental scientist you will need to know everything there is to know about ecology, biology and any additional disciplines in order to protect the environment to the best of your abilities.

So, you will need to make your way to polluted areas and clean them up, you will need to advocate for the preservation of wildlife habitats and you will need to help further the development of agricultural practices that don’t harm the natural environment.

13. Water Resources Engineer – $66,888

As a water resource engineer, you will be charting out a community’s water needs as you also analyze water resources on a daily basis.

On top of that you will need to design treatment plants, supply systems and make sure that the wastewater for both private and public consumption is working effectively.

At the same time, you will need to help provide communities with clean water supplies, while also monitoring the systems and equipment.

12. Operations Manager – $67,149

As an operations manager, your main task is to direct, plan and coordinate operations on agricultural sites and farms.

So, you will be taking the reigns when it comes to supervising and even leading the staff to properly fertilize, plant, harvest and transport the products and crops from destination to destination.

As you can probably tell by now, the higher the paycheck, the higher the degree you’ll need to have behind you and this job is no different.

11. Ecologist – $69,561

As an ecologist, your job at hand is to make sure that you study the relationship between the organisms at the habitats they live in.

Don’t expect to be studying wild animals in the savannah though, as for the most part you’ll need to study microscopic bacteria growing in a fish tank, plants and small insects found in the desert.

At the same time, you will need to study different environments and how these organisms react to different living conditions.

10. Agronomy Manager – $79,709

The life of an agronomy manager is exactly what it sounds like, you will need to provide customers with advice and agronomic products, that will make their lives better in the agricultural industry.

As far as your clients go, expect to have to deal with farmers and commercial food growers for the most part.

These people will often times come up to you asking for support and advice relating to fertilizers, soil nutrients and pretty much any other agricultural products.

9. Agricultural Engineer – $80,720

As an agricultural engineer you will need to solve agricultural problems relating to power supplies, the efficiency of machinery and any and all pollution/environmental issues.

At the same time, you will need to do frequent research visits to farms, labs and rural areas. Your main partners will be government offices, universities and engineering firms. For the most part your purpose for being paid is to improve crop and livestock production.

8. Grower – $80,983

A grower is exactly what it sounds like, you’re practically just an agricultural professional that is responsible for the planting, raising and harvesting of crops.

You will be working in greenhouses, fields and pretty much anywhere a company grows crops, to make sure that everything is going well and that the plants themselves are thriving.

You will be working with flowers, decorative plants or any food crops whatsoever. While in the US, in certain states you may even work on growing a specific green, leafy plant, as long as it is legal of course.

7. Agricultural Equipment Technician – $86,919

For the most part, agricultural equipment technicians repair, overhaul and maintain agricultural equipment around. This equipment includes but is not limited to tractors, tillage, seeding and harvesting equipment.

At the same time, you may also need to have an associate’s degree in biology, chemistry, crop or animal science. It all depends on the actual requirements of the job and it is a fairly difficult job to find an opening in.

On top of that, some positions may even require you to have a bachelor’s degree, but if you live in a place where there is a high demand for this type of worker, you may even find an opening with just a high school diploma.

6. Environmental Engineer – $88,860

As an environmental engineer you will be using the principles of engineering, soil science, biology and chemistry in order to develop solutions to environmental problems.

What this means is that you will essentially just be doing your best to improve the recycling and waste disposal processes, while also decreasing air pollution as much as possible.

This is actually considered to be one of the best engineering jobs in the world, due to the fact that you work from an office, while also conducting inspections and coordinating the waste management activities of the company you’re working for.

5. Agribusiness Manager – $96,184

As an agribusiness manager, your main job requirement is to coordinate crop production for corporations or landowners.

You will make sure that the ground is fertile and that it is disease-free, while also investigating market and soil conditions and the ongoing production needs of your employer.

To put it simply you will need the following skills to get the job done: planning, organizing, directing and controlling crop production.

4. Agricultural Veterinarian – $112,070

As a veterinarian, you will need to work with ranchers and livestock producers in order to make sure that their animals’ health is in check.

At the same time, you will need to provide them with medical care in case they come with any disease or injuries.

Agricultural veterinarians also aid in pathogen prevention, animal vaccinations and pretty much any other sort of examinations and treatments of animals.

It is a very sought-after job though, so keep that in mind as you will not find a job opening all that easily, unless you are properly qualified for it.

3. Natural Sciences Manager – $129,100

Natural sciences managers need to supervise scientists and make sure that everything they do is up to par with the health and safety regulations.

On top of that, as a natural sciences manager you will also need to go over chemists, physicists and biologists.

For the most part you will need to coordinate any and all projects that they go through, as well as coordinating the testing, quality control and production they’re undergoing.

2. Clinical Research Coordinator – $129,100

While it is an extremely well-paying job, being a clinical research coordinator also comes with its fair share of risks, as working in this field implies that you will be administering clinical trials on a daily basis.

Besides that, you will also need to collect data, inform the participants of the progress and the study’s objectives, as well as giving them questionnaires to go over.

So, it should go without saying that you’ll need to be up to date with the current standards of care, consent and documentation procedures.

1. Biostatistician – $145,184

The biostatistician job is by far the most well-paying job in the agriculture and farming industry, and for good reason too.

As a biostatistician you will need to help answer pressing research questions in medicine, biology and public health, which means that you will need to oversee any progresses in the field and make sure that they’re risk-free.

So, if a new drug hits the scene you will need to conduct countless tests on it to make sure that it doesn’t cause any other diseases or side effects, while you also examine people that are currently suffering of severe illnesses, in order to dictate how much time they still have left and how you can postpone that as much as possible.

Conclusion

Suddenly, working in the agricultural and farming industry doesn’t seem that bad now, does it? It’s almost as if even though we’ve evolved quite a lot over the past couple of decades now, we still need agriculture to survive as a species.

As such, getting a job in this industry is sure to pan out quite nicely for you, as long as you do put in the time and effort of course.