Best Agricultural Technician programs in Iowa, ranked by enrollment
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.
41 schools in Iowa run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,144 people a year. The job pays a median of $64,070 in Iowa across about — jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Iowa that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
7 programs in Iowa that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Iowa (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Iowa page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 26.0101In Iowa → | 732 | 64.0% | 39 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 01.0901In Iowa → | 244 | 21.3% | 7 | $33,926 | $21,748 |
| 3 | CIP 01.1102In Iowa → | 101 | 8.8% | 3 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
| 4 | Agriculture, Generalmain feeder CIP 01.0000In Iowa → | 42 | 3.7% | 3 | $39,350 | $20,340 |
| 5 | CIP 01.1201In Iowa → | 17 | 1.5% | 2 | $50,408 | $22,424 |
| 6 | CIP 01.0905In Iowa → | 5 | 0.4% | 1 | $33,926 | $21,748 |
| 7 | CIP 01.1101In Iowa → | 3 | 0.3% | 1 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
Top 25 schools in Iowa
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 17 of the 41 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · 5 feeder programs | 504 | Animal Sciences, General | $39,567 | 75% | — | 89% |
| 2 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 108 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,813 | 75% | — | 84% |
| 3 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $36,286 | 68% | — | 93% |
| 4 | Dordt University Sioux Center, IA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 37 | Animal Sciences, General | — | 70% | $24,569 | 68% |
| 5 | Wartburg College Waverly, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,398 | 64% | $20,228 | 76% |
| 6 | Grinnell College Grinnell, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 36 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $37,170 | 88% | $14,470 | 15% |
| 7 | Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,112 | 66% | $18,153 | 64% |
| 8 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,620 | 50% | $22,816 | 71% |
| 9 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $30,825 | 61% | $21,680 | 77% |
| 10 | Northwestern College Orange City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 25 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 66% | $22,419 | 80% |
| 11 | Ellsworth Community College Iowa Falls, IA Public · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Agriculture, General | — | 38% | — | — |
| 12 | Luther College Decorah, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,359 | 71% | $22,827 | 72% |
| 13 | William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $36,449 | 33% | $21,533 | 52% |
| 14 | Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 16 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $30,682 | 62% | $17,609 | 78% |
| 15 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 16 | University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $31,779 | 40% | $21,324 | 89% |
| 17 | Central College Pella, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $26,933 | 66% | $19,732 | 86% |
| 18 | Drake University Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,226 | 74% | $28,855 | 64% |
| 19 | Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Agriculture, General | — | 58% | — | — |
| 20 | Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge, IA Public · 3 feeder programs | 11 | Agronomy and Crop Science | — | 42% | — | — |
| 21 | Simpson College Indianola, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 63% | $20,710 | 86% |
| 22 | Clarke University Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 56% | $21,417 | 72% |
| 23 | Loras College Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 68% | $19,227 | 100% |
| 24 | Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 48% | $21,731 | — |
| 25 | Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa, IA Public · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Agronomy and Crop Science | — | 40% | — | — |
All 41 schools in Iowa
Every school in Iowa with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University | Ames | Public | 504 | 5 |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | Public | 108 | 1 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | Public | 42 | 1 |
| Dordt University | Sioux Center | Private not-for-profit | 37 | 4 |
| Wartburg College | Waverly | Private not-for-profit | 37 | 1 |
| Grinnell College | Grinnell | Private not-for-profit | 36 | 1 |
| Coe College | Cedar Rapids | Private not-for-profit | 28 | 1 |
| Morningside University | Sioux City | Private not-for-profit | 26 | 1 |
| Saint Ambrose University | Davenport | Private not-for-profit | 26 | 1 |
| Northwestern College | Orange City | Private not-for-profit | 25 | 1 |
| Ellsworth Community College | Iowa Falls | Public | 24 | 2 |
| Luther College | Decorah | Private not-for-profit | 23 | 1 |
| William Penn University | Oskaloosa | Private not-for-profit | 23 | 1 |
| Buena Vista University | Storm Lake | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 3 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 16 | 1 |
What agricultural technicians earn in Iowa
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $49,630. Iowa pays above the national figure.
Metro areas in Iowa
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Agricultural Technicians page.
How to become a Agricultural Technician
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Iowa
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 9 majors mapped to Agricultural Technicians9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 01.0000Agriculture, General
- 01.0901Animal Sciences, General
- 01.0905Dairy Science
- 01.0907Poultry Science
- 01.1101Plant Sciences, General
- 01.1102Agronomy and Crop Science
- 01.1201Soil Science and Agronomy, General
- 01.1399Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs, Other
- 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing agricultural technicians programs in Iowa.
What degree do you need to become an Agricultural Technician?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which awarded 732 degrees in Iowa in 2024-25, 64.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Agricultural Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Animal Sciences, Plant Sciences, Agriculture, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 1,144 people a year in Iowa.
How much do agricultural technicians earn in Iowa?+
The median is $64,070 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 29.1% above the U.S. median of $49,630. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for agricultural technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +4.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 2,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Iowa?+
41 institutions in Iowa reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do agricultural technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Agronomist, Seed Analyst, Crop Specialist, Precision Agronomist, Agriculture Assistant, Agricultural Technician (Agricultural Tech) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4012.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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