2. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

3. Overview: Agricultural engineers apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agriculture. They design agricultural machinery and equipment and agricultural structures. Some specialties include power systems and machinery design; structures and environment; and food and bioprocess engineering. They develop ways to conserve soil and water and to improve the processing of agricultural products. Agricultural engineers work in research and development, production, sales, or management. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center

4. Overview (continued): Agricultural Engineering graduates may improve crop production system, design animal facilities, analyze food production systems, or test machinery. They must have strong analytical stills and be detail oriented. In addition, they must work well in team situations as they are often called upon to work in a group setting with other engineers and with others outside of engineering. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

5. Preparation: A bachelor's degree in engineering is required for almost all entry-level engineering jobs. Most engineering programs involve a concentration of study in an engineering specialty, along with courses in both mathematics and science. Most programs include a design course, sometimes accompanied by a computer or laboratory class or both. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

6. Preparation (continued): Admissions requirements for engineering schools include a background in mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus) and science (biology, chemistry, physics), and courses in English, social studies, humanities, and computer and information technology. The last two years of an Agricultural Engineering program might include courses in avian biology, soil science, plant physiology, and manufacturing systems engineering. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

7. Preparation (continued): Those interested in a career in Agricultural Engineering should consider reviewing engineering programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. Accreditation is based on an evaluation of an engineering program's student achievement, program improvement, faculty, curricular content, facilities, and institutional commitment. A list of universities offering accredited degrees in Agricultural Engineering is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

8. Day in the Life: Agricultural Engineers combine engineering principles with biological and agricultural sciences. They work to develop equipment, systems, and processes that help improve how the world's food supply is produced and distributed. They are involved in problem solving. They often have to look beyond a specific challenge, such as a machine, or storage solution, and consider a larger system, and how improvements or changes would affect the whole. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

9. Day in the Life (continued): Teams and Coworkers Agricultural engineers often work in teams and their duties involve analysis of current methods and equipment applied to the production, packing, and delivery of food products. They may be involved in designing a water irrigation system, or in determining alternative uses for agricultural byproducts. They may participate in legal or financial consulting regarding agricultural processes, equipment, or issues. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

10. Day in the Life (continued): Tasks Agricultural engineers might work in a group with other engineers, or those outside of engineering, to solve problems related to systems, processes, and machines. Some agricultural engineers focus on machinery, and may design equipment used in agriculture and construction. Other agricultural engineers may find themselves designing buildings or other structured used for livestock, storage of grains, or experimental growing facilities. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

11. Day in the Life (continued): The Workplace The type of job agricultural engineers have often determines whether they work inside or outside. However, most work inside a majority of the time. Some agricultural engineers whose tasks require visits to farms, animal operations, or seed manufacturers may find that they travel frequently. Many agricultural engineers find that working directly with growers, for example, provides immediate job satisfaction as it allows them to interact with people their work affects. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

12. Earnings: According to a 2005 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, bachelor's degree candidates in agricultural engineering received starting offers averaging $46,172 a year, and master's degree candidates, on average, were offered $53,022. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Median annual earnings of agricultural engineers were $50,700 in 2002. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

13. Employment: Agricultural engineers held about 3,400 jobs in 2004. This represents 0.2% of the 1.4 million jobs held by engineers in the U.S. in 2004. About one third of all agricultural engineers worked for professional, scientific, and technical services, supplying consultant services to farmers and farm-related industries. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

14. Employment (continued): Other Agricultural Engineers worked in a wide variety of industries, including crops and livestock as well as manufacturing and government. 59.6% of Agricultural Engineers worked in state and local government in 2004. A sample list of employers of Agricultural Engineers is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

15. Career Path Forecast: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural engineers are expected to have employment growth about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2014. The growing interest in worldwide standardization of agricultural equipment should result in increased employment of agricultural engineers. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

16. Career Path Forecast (continued): Job opportunities also should result for Agricultural Engineers from the need to feed a growing population, develop more efficient agricultural production, and conserve resources. In addition to those resulting from employment growth, job openings will be created by the need to replace agricultural engineers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering

17. Resources: More information about Agricultural Engineering is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, including employer lists, accredited Agricultural Engineering programs, suggestions for precollege students, a free monthly careers newsletter, and a PDF that summarizes the field.Agricultural EngineeringSloan Career Cornerstone Centeremployer lists accredited Agricultural Engineering programsprecollege studentsnewsletterPDF that summarizes the field Associations:  American Society of Agricultural and Biological EngineersAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers  The Canadian Society for BioengineeringThe Canadian Society for Bioengineering  European Society of Agricultural EngineersEuropean Society of Agricultural Engineers  International Commission of Agricultural EngineeringInternational Commission of Agricultural Engineering OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Agricultural Engineering