What Do Agricultural Engineers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Agricultural Engineers apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agricultural problems concerned with power and machinery, electrification, structures, soil and water conservation, and processing of agricultural products. They also prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.

Other tasks include:

• Discuss plans with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers so that they can be evaluated and necessary changes made.
• Meet with clients, such as district or regional councils, farmers, and developers, to discuss their needs.
• Provide advice on water quality and issues related to pollution management, river control, and ground and surface water resources.
• Plan and direct construction of rural electric-power distribution systems, and irrigation, drainage, and flood control systems for soil and water conservation.
• Design agricultural machinery components and equipment, using computer-aided design (CAD) technology.
• Test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance.

We asked Agricultural Engineers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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70% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 60% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Agricultural Engineers prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems. They supervise food processing or manufacturing plant operations.

A typical day for an Agricultural Engineer will also include:

• Design agricultural machinery components and equipment, using computer-aided design (CAD) technology.
• Discuss plans with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers so that they can be evaluated and necessary changes made.
• Design and supervise environmental and land reclamation projects in agriculture and related industries.
• Design structures for crop storage, animal shelter and loading, and animal and crop processing, and supervise their construction.
• Test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance.

We asked some Agricultural Engineers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	83% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	33% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	75% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	4% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	17% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Agricultural Engineers also meet with clients, such as district or regional councils, farmers, and developers, to discuss their needs. They may also test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Agricultural Engineers Visit sites to observe environmental problems, to consult with contractors, or to monitor construction activities. They might also Provide advice on water quality and issues related to pollution management, river control, and ground and surface water resources.

In addition, they Conduct educational programs that provide farmers or farm cooperative members with information that can help them improve agricultural productivity.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.

To some Agricultural Engineers, it is also their responsibility to Discuss plans with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers so that they can be evaluated and necessary changes made.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as an Agricultural Engineer, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also 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.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/architecture-and-engineering/agricultural-engineers.htm

http://www.asabe.org/

http://nifa.usda.gov/grants

http://www.asee.org/