Agricultural Engineers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Design food processing plants and related mechanical systems.
• Discuss plans with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers so that they can be evaluated and necessary changes made.
• Visit sites to observe environmental problems, to consult with contractors, or to monitor construction activities.
• Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.
• Design structures for crop storage, animal shelter and loading, and animal and crop processing, and supervise their construction.
• Discuss plans with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers so that they can be evaluated and necessary changes made.
• Plan and direct construction of rural electric-power distribution systems, and irrigation, drainage, and flood control systems for soil and water conservation.
• Test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance.
• Design and supervise environmental and land reclamation projects in agriculture and related industries.
• Supervise food processing or manufacturing plant operations.
• Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.
• Design structures for crop storage, animal shelter and loading, and animal and crop processing, and supervise their construction.
• Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.
• Design sensing, measuring, and recording devices, and other instrumentation used to study plant or animal life.
• Provide advice on water quality and issues related to pollution management, river control, and ground and surface water resources.
• Meet with clients, such as district or regional councils, farmers, and developers, to discuss their needs.
• Design and supervise environmental and land reclamation projects in agriculture and related industries.
• Conduct educational programs that provide farmers or farm cooperative members with information that can help them improve agricultural productivity.
• Design agricultural machinery components and equipment, using computer-aided design (CAD) technology.
• Visit sites to observe environmental problems, to consult with contractors, or to monitor construction activities.

Skills

• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

Abilities

• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

Knowledge

• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• 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.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Education

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Agricultural Engineering
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
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Pay

U.S. Annual Salary

84630/yr

U.S. Hourly Wage

40.69/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

20

Yearly Projected Openings

0

Personality

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

• Analytical Thinking
• Integrity
• Attention to Detail
• Initiative
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Dependability

Tools

• Desktop computers
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers
• Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
• Plotter printers
• Theodolites

Technology

• Analytical or scientific software
• Cloud-based data access and sharing software
• Computer aided design CAD software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Desktop publishing software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Geographic information system
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Industrial control software
• Internet browser software
• Object or component oriented development software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Project management software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software