Kansas·Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations·SOC 19-4012

Best Agricultural Technician programs in Kansas, 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.

25 schools in Kansas run programs that feed this job, graduating 851 people a year. The job pays a median of $47,200 in Kansas across about 450 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledAgronomistSeed AnalystCrop SpecialistPrecision AgronomistAgriculture AssistantAgricultural Technician (Agricultural Tech)Precision Agriculture Specialist (Precision Ag Specialist)Agricultural Research Technician (Agricultural Research Tech)
Graduates / yr
851
in Kansas
Median pay · Kansas
$47,200
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
450
people employed
Schools
25
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
48%
across those schools
Median net price
$24,084
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Kansas that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

4 programs in Kansas that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Kansas (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 Kansas page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 26.0101In Kansas
507
59.6%
25$32,152$25,000
2
CIP 01.0901In Kansas
224
26.3%
1$33,926$21,748
3
CIP 01.1102In Kansas
64
7.5%
1$42,861$20,500
4
CIP 01.0000In Kansas
56
6.6%
2$39,350$20,340

Top 25 schools in Kansas

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 8 of the 25 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS Public · 3 feeder programs
386Animal Sciences, General$38,86871%82%
2Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS Public · 2 feeder programs
104Biology/Biological Sciences, General$37,13448%90%
3Wichita State University
Wichita, KS Public · 1 feeder programs
63Biology/Biological Sciences, General$34,27151%94%
4Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, KS Public · 1 feeder programs
41Biology/Biological Sciences, General$32,13457%89%
5University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS Public · 1 feeder programs
32Biology/Biological Sciences, General$36,13169%93%
6Emporia State University
Emporia, KS Public · 1 feeder programs
31Biology/Biological Sciences, General56%98%
7Cleveland University - Kansas City
Overland Park, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
30Biology/Biological Sciences, General$39,724100%$33,24469%
8Newman University
Wichita, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
21Biology/Biological Sciences, General53%$18,52074%
9Benedictine College
Atchison, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
20Biology/Biological Sciences, General62%$24,82698%
10Butler Community College
El Dorado, KS Public · 2 feeder programs
20Agriculture, General32%
11Ottawa University - Ottawa
Ottawa, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
13Biology/Biological Sciences, General28%$26,93583%
12University of Saint Mary
Leavenworth, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
13Biology/Biological Sciences, General$34,71848%$22,73087%
13Kansas Wesleyan University
Salina, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
11Biology/Biological Sciences, General49%$23,01472%
14Washburn University
Topeka, KS Public · 1 feeder programs
11Biology/Biological Sciences, General53%
15Baker University
Baldwin City, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
9Biology/Biological Sciences, General58%$21,40494%
16Tabor College
Hillsboro, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Biology/Biological Sciences, General34%$20,02265%
17Bethany College
Lindsborg, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
6Biology/Biological Sciences, General$29,33036%$28,91656%
18Bethel College - North Newton
North Newton, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
6Biology/Biological Sciences, General41%$23,56094%
19MidAmerica Nazarene University
Olathe, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
6Biology/Biological Sciences, General54%$28,84579%
20Friends University
Wichita, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
5Biology/Biological Sciences, General43%$24,08455%
21McPherson College
McPherson, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
4Biology/Biological Sciences, General34%$24,59577%
22Southwestern College
Winfield, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
4Biology/Biological Sciences, General36%$26,86876%
23Sterling College
Sterling, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
4Biology/Biological Sciences, General41%$22,40648%
24Independence Community College
Independence, KS Public · 1 feeder programs
3Biology/Biological Sciences, General26%
25Central Christian College of Kansas
McPherson, KS Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Biology/Biological Sciences, General27%$12,53753%

All 25 schools in Kansas

Every school in Kansas 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.

All schools in Kansas that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Kansas State UniversityManhattanPublic3863
Fort Hays State UniversityHaysPublic1042
Wichita State UniversityWichitaPublic631
Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburgPublic411
University of KansasLawrencePublic321
Emporia State UniversityEmporiaPublic311
Cleveland University - Kansas CityOverland ParkPrivate not-for-profit301
Newman UniversityWichitaPrivate not-for-profit211
Benedictine CollegeAtchisonPrivate not-for-profit201
Butler Community CollegeEl DoradoPublic202
Ottawa University - OttawaOttawaPrivate not-for-profit131
University of Saint MaryLeavenworthPrivate not-for-profit131
Kansas Wesleyan UniversitySalinaPrivate not-for-profit111
Washburn UniversityTopekaPublic111
Baker UniversityBaldwin CityPrivate not-for-profit91

What agricultural technicians earn in Kansas

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Kansas
$47,200
Mean annual
$53,900
Jobs in state
450
What the range looks like
10th pct$34,670Median$47,20090th pct$78,680
Versus the national median
-4.9%

U.S. median $49,630. Kansas pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
3.24×

Concentrated here: Kansas employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Kansas

Wichita, KS
$40,520median
50 jobs
Manhattan, KS
$51,270median
90 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+4.3%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
2,900
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
800
18,600 → 19,400
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

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

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeakingWritingActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Kansas

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 Kansas.

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 507 degrees in Kansas in 2024-25, 59.6% 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 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Animal Sciences, Plant Sciences, Agriculture. Together they graduate about 851 people a year in Kansas.

How much do agricultural technicians earn in Kansas?+

The median is $47,200 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 4.9% below 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 Kansas?+

25 institutions in Kansas reported graduates from at least one of the 4 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 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected 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 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, 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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