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

Best Agricultural Technician programs in Oregon, 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 Oregon run programs that feed this job, graduating 982 people a year. The job pays a median of $46,800 in Oregon across about 480 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
982
in Oregon
Median pay · Oregon
$46,800
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
480
people employed
Schools
25
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
50%
across those schools
Median net price
$26,564
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Oregon that lead to this job

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

6 programs in Oregon that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Oregon (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 Oregon 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 Oregon
800
81.5%
23$32,152$25,000
2
CIP 01.0901In Oregon
77
7.8%
3$33,926$21,748
3
CIP 01.0000In Oregon
72
7.3%
4$39,350$20,340
4
CIP 01.1102In Oregon
27
2.7%
2$42,861$20,500
5
CIP 01.1101In Oregon
3
0.3%
1$42,861$20,500
6
CIP 01.1201In Oregon
3
0.3%
1$50,408$22,424

Top 25 schools in Oregon

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 14 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
1Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR Public · 6 feeder programs
367Biology/Biological Sciences, General$30,98270%77%
2Portland State University
Portland, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
125Biology/Biological Sciences, General$29,46853%91%
3University of Oregon
Eugene, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
109Biology/Biological Sciences, General$35,48372%88%
4Lewis & Clark College
Portland, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
67Biology/Biological Sciences, General$24,05075%$27,62178%
5University of Portland
Portland, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
58Biology/Biological Sciences, General$26,34080%$33,82289%
6Reed College
Portland, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
34Biology/Biological Sciences, General$25,59671%$28,27225%
7George Fox University
Newberg, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
30Biology/Biological Sciences, General$33,52372%$26,56494%
8Pacific University
Forest Grove, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
29Biology/Biological Sciences, General$34,61267%$30,57190%
9Western Oregon University
Monmouth, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
26Biology/Biological Sciences, General$25,72647%98%
10Southern Oregon University
Ashland, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
24Biology/Biological Sciences, General$33,93043%89%
11Corban University
Salem, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
16Biology/Biological Sciences, General61%$23,09694%
12Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
16Biology/Biological Sciences, General$28,60654%95%
13Linfield University
McMinnville, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
14Biology/Biological Sciences, General$42,67770%$26,24385%
14Eastern Oregon University
La Grande, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
13Biology/Biological Sciences, General$35,43543%98%
15Willamette University
Salem, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
13Biology/Biological Sciences, General$25,10071%$20,34577%
16Linn - Benton Community College
Albany, OR Public · 3 feeder programs
12Animal Sciences, General29%
17Treasure Valley Community College
Ontario, OR Public · 3 feeder programs
8Agronomy and Crop Science37%
18Mt Hood Community College
Gresham, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
6Biology/Biological Sciences, General24%
19Clackamas Community College
Oregon City, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
5Biology/Biological Sciences, General23%
20Bushnell University
Eugene, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
3Biology/Biological Sciences, General56%$22,14367%
21Klamath Community College
Klamath Falls, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
3Agriculture, General43%
22Lane Community College
Eugene, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
1Biology/Biological Sciences, General20%
23Rogue Community College
Grants Pass, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
1Biology/Biological Sciences, General9%
24Tillamook Bay Community College
Tillamook, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
1Biology/Biological Sciences, General17%
25Warner Pacific University
Portland, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Biology/Biological Sciences, General49%$19,34371%

All 25 schools in Oregon

Every school in Oregon 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 Oregon that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Oregon State UniversityCorvallisPublic3676
Portland State UniversityPortlandPublic1251
University of OregonEugenePublic1091
Lewis & Clark CollegePortlandPrivate not-for-profit671
University of PortlandPortlandPrivate not-for-profit581
Reed CollegePortlandPrivate not-for-profit341
George Fox UniversityNewbergPrivate not-for-profit301
Pacific UniversityForest GrovePrivate not-for-profit291
Western Oregon UniversityMonmouthPublic261
Southern Oregon UniversityAshlandPublic241
Corban UniversitySalemPrivate not-for-profit161
Oregon Institute of TechnologyKlamath FallsPublic161
Linfield UniversityMcMinnvillePrivate not-for-profit141
Eastern Oregon UniversityLa GrandePublic131
Willamette UniversitySalemPrivate not-for-profit131

What agricultural technicians earn in Oregon

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

Median annual in Oregon
$46,800
Mean annual
$49,070
Jobs in state
480
What the range looks like
10th pct$35,980Median$46,80090th pct$65,740
Versus the national median
-5.7%

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

Job concentration
2.51×

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

Metro areas in Oregon

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$46,800median
220 jobs
Salem, OR
$38,720median
50 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 Oregon

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 Oregon.

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 800 degrees in Oregon in 2024-25, 81.5% 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 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Animal Sciences, Agriculture, Plant Sciences, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 982 people a year in Oregon.

How much do agricultural technicians earn in Oregon?+

The median is $46,800 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 5.7% 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 Oregon?+

25 institutions in Oregon reported graduates from at least one of the 6 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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