What Does An Agricultural Grader Do (including Their Typical Day at Work)

Stan T.Career, Overview

Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Agricultural Graders

Agricultural Graders grade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition.

Salary
$29620
Becoming One
Very Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Low
Job Growth
Low

Personality


What they do

Agricultural Graders grade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition.

  • Place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers.
  • Weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel.
  • Discard inferior or defective products or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing.
  • Grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage.

Typical day

On a daily basis, Agricultural Graders grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage. They discard inferior or defective products or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing.

A typical day for an Agricultural Grader will also include:

  • Weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel.
  • Place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers.
  • Record grade or identification numbers on tags or on shipping, receiving, or sales sheets.
  • Separate fiber tufts between fingers to assess strength, uniformity, and cohesive quality of fibers.

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Agricultural Graders also separate fiber tufts between fingers to assess strength, uniformity, and cohesive quality of fibers. They may also discard inferior or defective products or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Agricultural Graders record grade or identification numbers on tags or on shipping, receiving, or sales sheets. They might also grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage.

In addition, they place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel.

What is the job like

Job satisfaction

Low

Is this job meaningful

High

62% said they were satisfied with their job and 57% said they found their job meaningful.


Pros

Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.

Suitable for people who want to work in a supportive work environment.

It is very easy to get into this career. Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.

Cons

Not suitable for people who like to help and teach others.

One of the lowest paying jobs.

Demand for this career is not growing.

How much do they make

Average salary

$29620 per year

Average hourly wage

$14 per hour

Entry-level Agricultural Graders with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $20,340 to $25,170 per year or $10 to $12 per hour.

Salary by experience Annual Hourly
Highest (Top 10%) $36,040 $17
Senior (Top 25%) $31,120 $15
Median $28,220 $14
Junior (Bottom 25%) $25,170 $12
No experience (Bottom 10%) $20,340 $10

This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Agricultural Graders based on their average annual salary.

Salary by industry Annual Hourly
Dairy Product Manufacturing $36690 $17.64
Management of Companies and Enterprises $36410 $17.50
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services $36220 $17.41
Warehousing and Storage $34770 $16.72
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $33710 $16.20
State Government $32740 $15.74
Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers $31330 $15.06
Support Activities for Crop Production $30960 $14.89
Federal Executive Branch $30960 $14.89
Grain and Oilseed Milling $30450 $14.64

View more salary by industries here.

Where can they work

Where can Agricultural Graders work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Agricultural Graders including the average salary in that industry.

Employers Total Employed Annual Salary Hourly Wages
Support Activities for Crop Production 10080 $30960 $14.89
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 7730 $28670 $13.78
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 2950 $28220 $13.57
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing 1660 $28270 $13.59
Other Food Manufacturing 1140 $27620 $13.28
Federal Executive Branch 1130 $30960 $14.89
Food and Beverage Stores 660 $26630 $12.80
Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers 640 $31330 $15.06
Warehousing and Storage 230 $34770 $16.72
State Government 190 $32740 $15.74

What is the work day like

Working hours

Less than 40 hours
17%

40 hours
40%

More than 40 hours
43%

Working schedule

66%

24%

10%

Email

How often do you use email in this job?

Once a week
12%

Every day
8%

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Once a week
2%

Every day
17%

Group discussions

How often do you have group discussions in this job?

Once a week
32%

Every day
65%

Public speaking

How often does this job require you to do public speaking?

Never
75%

Once a year
0%

Once a month
25%

Once a week
0%

Every day
0%

Level of competition

How much competitive pressure is in this job?

Not competitive at all
44%

Slightly competitive
19%

Moderately competitive
13%

Highly competitive
1%

Extremely competitive
23%

What is the work environment like

Office-style environment

Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition

Never
14%

Once a year or more
4%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
1%

Every day
81%

Warehouse-style environment

Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse

Never
79%

Once a year or more
5%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
4%

Every day
12%

Outdoors

Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions

Never
73%

Once a year or more
12%

Once a month or more
4%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
11%

Outdoors – Under Cover

Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)

Never
79%

Once a year or more
5%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
4%

Every day
12%

How to become one

Difficulty to become one

Very Easy
You need little to no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience. Careers in this difficulty category don’t require a degree. However, you may need a few days to a few months of on-the-job training. Similar careers include Waiters, Logging Machine Operators, and Cashiers.

Required level of education

What level of education do you need to perform the job?

Less than a High School Diploma
64%

High School Diploma or equivalent
27%

Post-Secondary Certificate
5%

Some College Courses
0%

Associate’s Degree or similar
5%

Bachelor’s Degree
0%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
0%

Master’s Degree
0%

Post-Master’s Certificate
0%

First Professional Degree
0%

Doctoral Degree
0%

Post-Doctoral Training
0%

Relevant majors

No majors found

Relevant work experience

How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?

None
38%

1 month
18%

1 to 3 months
31%

3 to 6 months
0%

6 months to 1 year
1%

1 to 2 years
3%

2 to 4 years
5%

4 to 6 years
0%

6 to 8 years
0%

8 to 10 years
5%

Over 10 years
0%

On The Job Training

How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?

None or short demonstration
19%

1 month
50%

1 to 3 months
17%

3 to 6 months
6%

6 months to 1 year
0%

1 to 2 years
3%

2 to 4 years
0%

4 to 10 years
5%

Over 10 years
0%

Should you become one

Best personality type for this career

The Builder

People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

The Builder
86%

People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


The Thinker
43%

People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.


The Artist
19%

People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.


The Helper
14%

People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.


The Leader
24%

People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.


The Organizer
81%

People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.


You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.

Work Values

Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?

Achievement
14%

You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Working Conditions
29%

You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.

Recognition
14%

You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.

Relationships
29%

You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support
52%

You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.

Independence
29%

You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.

FAQ


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