Agricultural Technicians
SOC 19-4012 · 2024-2034
Work with agricultural scientists in plant, fiber, and animal research, or assist with animal breeding and nutrition. Set up or maintain laboratory equipment and collect samples from crops or animals. Prepare specimens or record data to assist scientists in biology or related life science experiments. Conduct tests and experiments to improve yield and quality of crops or to increase the resistance of plants and animals to disease or insects.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $62,009per year
- Projected openings
- 5,430
- Projected change
- +5.9%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $69,809 | 410 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $65,123 | 140 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $62,586 | 830 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $62,319 | 80 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $61,374 | 350 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $61,343 | 120 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $61,240 | 120 |
| Napa MSA (Napa County) | $60,737 | 90 |
| Salinas MSA (Monterey County) | $58,395 | 180 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $57,861 | 120 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $54,646 | 170 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $52,509 | 190 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $48,462 | 290 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $42,731 | 160 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | Not reported | 460 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $44,553
- A quarter earn under
- $48,018
- Half earn under
- $62,009
- Three quarters earn under
- $65,555
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $77,336
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological Technicians | $73,440 | 11,820 | +10.1% |
| Chemical Technicians | $61,176 | 8,370 | +4.3% |
| Food Science Technicians | $55,717 | 7,950 | +3.9% |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | $110,971 | 89,600 | -2.5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | $57,805 | 23,740 | +3.3% |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | $96,580 | 1,990 | +8.7% |