Average Agricultural Technicians Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Agricultural Technicians is $49,630 per year. The middle 50% earn between $40,950 and $63,630, with 15,130 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 40 states and 49 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Agricultural Technicians pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $35,980
- 25th
- $40,950
- Median
- $49,630
- 75th
- $63,630
- 90th
- $76,480
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Agricultural Technicians earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for agricultural technicians from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +4.3%
- 800 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 2,900
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Where Agricultural Technicians earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where agricultural technicians work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Iowa at $64,070, about 29.1% above the national median. At the metro level, Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA leads with a median of $66,540.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $64,070 | N/A |
| Wyoming | $63,120 | 30 |
| Arizona | $62,990 | N/A |
| California | $60,320 | 2,420 |
| Kentucky | $59,860 | 210 |
| Minnesota | $57,310 | 530 |
| New Jersey | $54,370 | N/A |
| Missouri | $54,060 | 420 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $66,540 | 30 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $65,300 | N/A |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $65,280 | N/A |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $64,790 | 120 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $64,750 | N/A |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $63,630 | 500 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $63,080 | 70 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $62,900 | 60 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see agricultural technicians pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2021 and 2025, the national median salary for Agricultural Technicians rose from $40,430 to $49,630, a gain of +22.8% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +18.8%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2021 median of $40,430 would need to be worth $48,035 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $49,630 is $1,595 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +3.3% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 3.3%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +22.8%
- 2021–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +18.8%
- US CPI, 2021–2025
- Real change
- +3.3%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Agricultural Technicians median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $49,630
- 2024
- $46,790
- 2023
- $43,180
- 2022
- $41,760
- 2021
- $40,430
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2020, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Food Science Technicians
- $52,130
- Biological Technicians
- $57,510
- Chemical Technicians
- $60,390
Common salary questions for Agricultural Technicians
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Agricultural Technicians workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.