Precision Agriculture Technicians
In the Precision Agriculture Technicians occupation, workers 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. One core duty is to document and maintain records of precision agriculture information. The strongest interest signal is Realistic (6.5 of 7), then Investigative (5.4) and Conventional, which gives it the code RIC. Plan on one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree; O*NET labels this medium preparation. Strength in reading comprehension, speaking, and critical thinking helps most here. People who want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world usually fit better here than those who need creative work with room for original expression.
What they do
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.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Complex Problem Solving
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
- You are comfortable relying on reading comprehension and speaking.
May not suit you if
- You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
- You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.2 out of 7 here.
- You need to start within a few months, with no training period.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RIC takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.
Preparation
Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Agrintelligence Specialist (Agriculture Intelligence Specialist)
- Agronomist
- Agronomy Consultant
- Crop Consultant
- Crop Specialist
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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.