How to hire agricultural technicians
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Collect animal or crop samples. • Examine animals or crop specimens to determine the presence of diseases or other problems. • Maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness. • Operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks. • Perform crop production duties, such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, or harvesting crops. • Prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, discing, leveling, or contouring. • Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care. • Set up laboratory or field equipment as required for site testing. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Associate's degree] • Strong reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, speaking, writing and active learning skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service, computers and electronics, food production and biology • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $23.86 an hour ($49,630 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for agricultural technicians
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to collect animal or crop samples. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to examine animals or crop specimens to determine the presence of diseases or other problems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What agricultural technicians do
- Collect animal or crop samples.
- Examine animals or crop specimens to determine the presence of diseases or other problems.
- Maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness.
- Operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks.
- Perform crop production duties, such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, or harvesting crops.
- Prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, discing, leveling, or contouring.
- Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care.
- Set up laboratory or field equipment as required for site testing.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for agricultural technicians
- Typical education to start: Associate's degree (BLS)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +5.4% over ten years, faster than average · about 2,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay agricultural technicians
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| California | $60,320 |
| Minnesota | $57,310 |
| North Carolina | $51,470 |
| Georgia | $48,960 |
| Idaho | $48,870 |
See agricultural technicians pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Food Science Technicians
- Biological Technicians
- Chemical Technicians
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
- Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians
- Hydrologic Technicians
- Nuclear Technicians
- Social Science Research Assistants
- Forest and Conservation Technicians
- Forensic Science Technicians
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.