Agricultural Equipment Operators

Drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops. May perform tasks, such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks, such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

1. Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions.

2. Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.

3. Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.

4. Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.

5. Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.

6. Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.

7. Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.

8. Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.

9. Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.

10. Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.

11. Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops.

Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.

Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Agricultural Equipment Operators. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Agricultural Equipment Operators, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$23,080 for entry level workers, and $29,290 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Less Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 2,750 Agricultural Equipment Operators employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 2,770  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 0 job(s) each year, and a total of 70 job openings each year.

There are no additional resources for this occupation.

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop - Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; cleaning, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.

Fishers and Related Fishing Workers - Use nets, fishing rods, traps, or other equipment to catch and gather fish or other aquatic animals from rivers, lakes, or oceans, for human consumption or other uses. May haul game onto ship.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators - Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.

Automotive Body and Related Repairers - Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.

Farm Equipment Mechanics - Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.

Riggers - Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.

Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders - Operate or tend food or tobacco roasting, baking, or drying equipment, including hearth ovens, kiln driers, roasters, char kilns, and vacuum drying equipment.

Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders - Operate or tend equipment, such as cooling and freezing units, refrigerators, batch freezers, and freezing tunnels, to cool or freeze products, food, blood plasma, and chemicals.

Crane and Tower Operators - Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.