Agricultural engineers held about 2,900 jobs in 2014. The industries that employed the most agricultural engineers were as follows:

Agricultural engineers work in a variety of industries. Some work for the federal government, and others provide engineering contracting or consultation services or work for agricultural machinery manufacturers.

Agricultural engineers typically work in offices, but may spend time at a variety of worksites, both indoors and outdoors. They may travel to agricultural settings to see that equipment and machinery are functioning according to both the manufacturers' specifications and federal and state regulations. Some agricultural engineers occasionally work in laboratories to test the quality of processing equipment. They may work onsite when they supervise livestock facility upgrades or water resource management projects.

Agricultural engineers work with others in designing solutions to problems or applying technological advances. They work with people from a variety of backgrounds, such as business, agronomy, animal sciences, and public policy.

Work Schedules

Agricultural engineers typically work full time. Sometimes they work overtime because of weather conditions, financial pressures, or unexpected complications. Although engineers usually work in offices, weather can affect their work schedules and some outdoor projects need favorable weather. Agricultural engineers may work long hours to take advantage of good weather.