Precision Agriculture Technicians

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Life, Physical & Social Science
• O*NET-SOC code: 19-4012
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
• Analyze geospatial data to determine agricultural implications of factors such as soil quality, terrain, field productivity, fertilizers, or weather conditions.
• Identify spatial coordinates, using remote sensing and Global Positioning System (GPS) data.
• Analyze data from harvester monitors to develop yield maps.
• Apply precision agriculture information to specifically reduce the negative environmental impacts of farming practices.
• Demonstrate the applications of geospatial technology, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), automatic tractor guidance systems, variable rate chemical input applicators, surveying equipment, or computer mapping software.

Tools and technology

ESRI ArcGIS software, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, AGCO GTA Software Suite, Ag Leader Technology SMS Advanced, Air clutches, Automatic boom control systems

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Soil and Plant Scientists
• Agricultural Engineers
• Agricultural Technicians
• Conservation Scientists
• Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians
• Industrial Ecologists
• Forest and Conservation Technicians
• Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Precision Agriculture Technicians — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.