Precision Agriculture Technicians

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.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Writing
Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving
Mathematics

Key knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
Computers and Electronics
Sales and Marketing
Mathematics
English Language
Engineering and Technology
Biology
Food Production

What the work involves

Program farm equipment, such as variable-rate planting equipment or pesticide sprayers, based on input from crop scouting and analysis of field condition variability.
Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
Identify spatial coordinates, using remote sensing and Global Positioning System (GPS) data.
Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
Identify areas in need of pesticide treatment by analyzing geospatial data to determine insect movement and damage patterns.
Recommend best crop varieties or seeding rates for specific field areas, based on analysis of geospatial data.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (34.8% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (34.8%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (34.8%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Precision Agriculture Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 19-4012 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Moderate	Lower on contact with others than 53% of occupations compared	65% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	High	Higher on dealing with the public than 76% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Teamwork	Low	Lower on teamwork than 60% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 54% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Very low	Lower on time pressure than 82% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Moderate	Lower on conflict situations than 59% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 73% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Moderate	Higher on consequence of error than 59% of occupations compared	39% of surveyed respondents chose “Very serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very low
Conflict situations: moderate
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
Consequence of error: moderate

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions