Farming & Agriculture

Agricultural Equipment Operators

SOC 45-2091

Run the tractors and machines that plant, tend, and harvest crops.

The job

Median pay

$42k

$37k to $48k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing fast

+8.6% projected

Openings a year

10k

BLS projection

Typical education

No formal credential

Our model

AI displacement risk

Moderate

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

8/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

38th pct

More exposed than 38% of occupations · modeled estimate · 26th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

50/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Vineyard & Winery WorkersPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostMontana leads at $59k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Agricultural Equipment Operators and explore its neighbours See open jobsAgricultural Equipment Operators roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Agricultural Equipment Operators, who lean most on active listening Real pay & reviewsWhat Agricultural Equipment Operators say they actually earn

Key skills

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Speaking
Monitoring
Reading Comprehension
Active Learning

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	7,940	0.4	2.4×	$39k
Texas	2,200	0.2	0.8×	$34k
Illinois	1,910	0.3	1.7×	$46k
Iowa	1,530	1.0	5.3×	$47k
Nebraska	1,090	1.1	5.8×	$47k
Minnesota	900	0.3	1.7×	$49k
Missouri	900	0.3	1.7×	$46k
Wisconsin	830	0.3	1.5×	$47k
Indiana	810	0.3	1.4×	$46k
Florida	790	0.1	0.4×	$37k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Arizona	730	0.2	1.2×	$37k
Kansas	670	0.5	2.5×	$46k
Ohio	600	0.1	0.6×	$47k
Georgia	570	0.1	0.6×	$35k
North Carolina	550	0.1	0.6×	$40k
Washington	550	0.2	0.8×	$38k
Idaho	490	0.6	3.1×	$39k
Michigan	460	0.1	0.6×	$42k
North Dakota	430	1.0	5.5×	$48k
Pennsylvania	390	0.1	0.3×	$47k
Tennessee	390	0.1	0.7×	$38k
South Carolina	380	0.2	0.9×	$34k
Alabama	370	0.2	1.0×	$34k
Arkansas	350	0.3	1.5×	$32k
Colorado	341	0.1	0.7×	$37k~
New York	320	0.0	0.2×	$50k~
Oregon	310	0.2	0.9×	$44k
Mississippi	280	0.2	1.3×	$36k
Louisiana	270	0.1	0.8×	$59k
South Dakota	240	0.5	2.9×	$48k
Kentucky	190	0.1	0.5×	$42k
Maryland	180	0.1	0.4×	$40k
Oklahoma	170	0.1	0.5×	$35k
Montana	130	0.3	1.4×	$59k
New Mexico	130	0.1	0.8×	$36k
Virginia	120	0.0	0.2×	$48k
Hawaii	94	0.1	0.8×	$50k~
Utah	81	0.0	0.3×	$47k~
Nevada	74	0.0	0.3×	$41k~
New Jersey	70	0.0	0.1×	$42k
West Virginia	62	0.1	0.5×	$42k~
Maine	60	0.1	0.5×	$46k
Wyoming	49	0.2	0.9×	$44k~
Connecticut	48	0.0	0.1×	$43k~
New Hampshire	46	0.1	0.4×	$53k~
Delaware	40	0.1	0.5×	$50k
Massachusetts	40	0.0	0.1×	$49k
Vermont	35	0.1	0.6×	$53k~
Alaska	22	0.1	0.4×	$59k~
Rhode Island	22	0.0	0.2×	$45k~
Washington DC	8	0.0	0.1×	$81k~

Top metro areas

Fresno, CA910 jobs · $37k median
Bakersfield-Delano, CA700 jobs · $37k median
Salinas, CA680 jobs · $39k median
Visalia, CA650 jobs · $36k median
Napa, CA590 jobs · $48k median
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA460 jobs · $42k median
Stockton-Lodi, CA390 jobs · $38k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN360 jobs · $47k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.