Agricultural Consultants
Overview
Introduction
Agricultural consultants, sometimes known as agricultural extension service workers, live in rural communities and act as resources for farmers on a range of topics from agricultural technology to the issues facing the modern rural family. They are employed by either the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or by the department of agriculture and the agricultural colleges in that state. Agricultural consultants advise farmers on improved methods of agriculture and agricultural work such as farm management, crop rotation, s...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
The earnings of agricultural consultants vary from state to state and from county to county. Most USDA professionals start out at the GS-5 level (government pay grade), which in 2019 ranged between $29,350 and $38,152 annually, depending on education and experience. Agricultural consultants then move up through the government pay grades, earning more. The GS-9 level, for example, had a starting...
Work Environment
This work is often both mentally and physically taxing. Agricultural consultants will find themselves faced with numerous problems requiring their assistance in the field for long periods of time. They may be in their office handling routine matters every day for a month and then not work in the office for the next six weeks. (Consultants usually have a private office where they can speak in co...
Outlook
The work of agricultural consultants is, naturally, heavily dependent on the employment of farmers and farm managers, and the U.S. Department of Labor predicts little or no change in employment for these workers through 2028. As farms consolidate and there are fewer farm families, the need for agricultural consultants may also decline. However, consultants may find opportunities working with ru...
