BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasAgricultural Equipment Operators

O*NET · 45-2091.00

Agricultural Equipment Operators

Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.

Also called Ag Equipment Operator · Agricultural Equipment Operator (Ag Equipment Operator) · Agricultural Farm Equipment Operator · Agricultural Plow Operator · Agriculture Equipment Operator · Baler · Baler Operator · Bean Picker Machine Operator
92 more

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Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code RCI35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RCIRealistic · Conventional · Investigative — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic7.00
  • C Conventional3.67
  • I Investigative2.50
  • E Enterprising1.34
  • A Artistic1.00
  • S Social1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma57%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent19%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate14%
  • Some College Courses10%
Related work experience
None (20%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (40%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (56%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Operation and Control3.93.8Level 4 looks like: Adjust the speed of assembly line equipment based on the product being assembled
  • Operations Monitoring3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor machine functions on an automated production line
  • Troubleshooting3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Equipment Maintenance3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Repairing3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly
  • Active Listeningbasic3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Take a customer's order
  • Quality Control Analysis3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Critical Thinkingbasic2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Determine whether a subordinate has a good excuse for being late
  • Social Perceptiveness2.92.1Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Speakingbasic2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Coordination2.82.5Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Monitoringbasic2.82.3Level 2 looks like: Proofread and correct a letter
Show the other 23
  • Complex Problem Solving2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Equipment Selection2.52.0Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.32.3Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Time Management2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Instructing2.32.0Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Active Learningbasic2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Service Orientation2.31.6Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Writingbasic2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Negotiation2.11.4Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Persuasion2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Systems Analysis2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Systems Evaluation2.01.3Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Mathematicsbasic1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Learning Strategiesbasic1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Sciencebasic1.60.6
  • Management of Material Resources1.50.8
  • Technology Design1.50.5
  • Management of Financial Resources1.40.5
  • Installation1.40.4
  • Operations Analysis1.1—
  • Programming1.0—

Tasks

8 core · 9 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.4.5
  2. Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.4.4
  3. Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.4.3
  4. Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.4.3
  5. Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.4.3
  6. Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.4.2
  7. Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions.4.1
  8. Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.3.9
Show the other 9
  1. Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.4.2
  2. Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.4.2
  3. Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops.4.2
  4. Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.4.0
  5. Drive trucks to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers.4.0
  6. Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals.4.0
  7. Weigh crop-filled containers, and record weights and other identifying information.4.0
  8. Guide products on conveyors to regulate flow through machines, and to discard diseased or rotten products.4.0
  9. Position boxes or attach bags at discharge ends of machinery to catch products, removing and closing full containers.4.0

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • English Language3.42.9
  • Mechanical2.92.8
  • Mathematics2.82.5Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Public Safety and Security2.82.6
  • Production and Processing2.72.2Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Transportation2.72.5Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Chemistry2.62.8
  • Customer and Personal Service2.62.2Level 1 looks like: Process a customer's dry-cleaning drop off
Show all 33
  • Law and Government2.62.2Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Design2.41.9Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Education and Training2.32.2Level 1 looks like: Show someone how to bowl
  • Physics2.32.2Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Administrative2.21.5Level 1 looks like: Direct phone calls to the appropriate staff member
  • Building and Construction2.22.1Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Computers and Electronics2.21.9Level 1 looks like: Operate a media player to watch a training video
  • Engineering and Technology2.21.8Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Administration and Management2.11.6Level 1 looks like: Approve a reimbursement request
  • Biology2.11.6Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Telecommunications2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Communications and Media2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Economics and Accounting2.01.0Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Geography2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.01.1Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • History and Archeology1.91.2Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Food Production1.81.6Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Psychology1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Sales and Marketing1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Therapy and Counseling1.70.9Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Foreign Language1.5—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.5—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.4—
  • Fine Arts1.2—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Control Precision3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Adjust farm tractor controls
  • Multilimb Coordination3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Operate a forklift truck in a warehouse
  • Near Vision3.63.3Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Depth Perception3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Operate a crane to move materials from a truck bed to the ground
  • Far Vision3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Read the slides on a presentation from across a room
  • Problem Sensitivity3.43.0Level 2 looks like: Recognize that an unplugged lamp won't work
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.32.9Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Oral Comprehension3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
Show all 52
  • Rate Control3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Keep up with a car that changes speed
  • Reaction Time3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Press a button to stop operation when a warning light goes off
  • Response Orientation3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Use either the brake or gas pedal when your vehicle is skidding
  • Hearing Sensitivity3.13.5Level 4 looks like: Diagnose what's wrong with a car engine from its sound
  • Manual Dexterity3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
  • Oral Expression3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Speech Clarity3.12.8
  • Static Strength3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Pull a 40-pound sack of fertilizer across the lawn
  • Trunk Strength3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Shovel snow for half an hour
  • Deductive Reasoning3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Extent Flexibility3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Finger Dexterity3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Information Ordering3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Speech Recognition3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Recognize the voice of a coworker
  • Auditory Attention2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Inductive Reasoning2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Perceptual Speed2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Selective Attention2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Visualization2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Flexibility of Closure2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.62.6
  • Category Flexibility2.52.8Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Time Sharing2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Peripheral Vision2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Keep in step while marching in a band
  • Stamina2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Fluency of Ideas2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Spatial Orientation2.32.0Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Speed of Closure2.32.0Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Written Comprehension2.32.5Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
  • Dynamic Strength2.11.6Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Gross Body Coordination2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Memorization2.11.4Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Originality2.11.4Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Sound Localization2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Speed of Limb Movement2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Glare Sensitivity2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Written Expression2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Write a note to remind someone to take food out of the freezer
  • Explosive Strength1.81.3Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Night Vision1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Read street signs at dusk (just after sunset)
  • Number Facility1.81.0Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Mathematical Reasoning1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.40.4

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.44.5Level 4 looks like: Drive an 18-wheel tractor-trailer
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.33.4Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Controlling Machines and Processes4.24.2Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.24.2Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Handling and Moving Objects4.23.7Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Processing Information4.13.6Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Performing General Physical Activities4.02.9
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.92.6
Show all 41
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment3.83.3Level 4 looks like: Change the oil on a tractor
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.72.7
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.63.0Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.62.1Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Developing and Building Teams3.52.8
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.52.4Level 1 looks like: Check to see if baking bread is done
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.54.0Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Assisting and Caring for Others3.42.8
  • Getting Information3.42.4Level 1 looks like: Follow a standard blueprint
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.31.8Level 1 looks like: Review forms for completeness
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.23.2Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Thinking Creatively3.23.2Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.12.0Level 1 looks like: Record the weight of a patient during a routine health exam
  • Training and Teaching Others3.12.6
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.92.5Level 1 looks like: Show a coworker how to operate a piece of equipment
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.72.8
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.62.2Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others2.62.4Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.62.5Level 1 looks like: Determine whether to remove a tree that has been damaged
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.52.5Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Determine the meal selection for a cafeteria
  • Working with Computers2.41.5Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Plan the holiday schedule for an airline workforce
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work2.31.9Level 1 looks like: Organize a work schedule that is repetitive and easy to plan
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Make appointments for patients using a predetermined schedule
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.11.3Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization2.10.9Level 1 looks like: Have little contact with people outside the organization
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.11.4Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.11.1Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.11.3Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.01.1Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.3
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.2
  • In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.1
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals3.9
  • Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures3.9
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team3.8
  • Contact With Others3.7
  • Exposed to Contaminants3.7
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate3.7
  • In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment3.7

Technology

6 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (3)

  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
Other tools (3)
  • Farm Management Software Hay and Crop Manager
  • Martens Farms Farm Site Mate
  • Martens Farms Farm Trac

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
  2. Machine Feeders and Offbearers
  3. Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
  4. Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
  5. Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
  6. Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
  7. Conveyor Operators and Tenders
  8. Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
  9. Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
  10. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the 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. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.