Agricultural Technicians build judgment and decision making, instructing and coordination skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Biofuels Processing Technicians (76%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biofuels Processing Technicians | 76% | $62,470Pay for the broader BLS group “Plant and System Operators, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | 76% | $59,320 | +20% | None |
| 3 | Agricultural Engineers | 71% | $98,590 | +99% | Bachelor's degree |
| 4 | Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 70% | $89,900 | +81% | Bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 70% | $59,920 | +21% | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | 68% | $58,040 | +17% | None |
| 7 | Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation | 67% | $46,340 | −7% | None |
| 8 | Pest Control Workers | 66% | $45,250 | −9% | None |
| 9 | Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 66% | $74,510 | +50% | None |
| 10 | Forest and Conservation Workers | 66% | $43,680 | −12% | None |
Compared with Agricultural Technicians, median $49,630. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as agricultural technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
76% skill match · $62,470 (broader BLS group)
Quality Control Analysis · Equipment Maintenance · Operation and Control
76% skill match · $59,320 · +20% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Management of Financial Resources · Management of Material Resources
71% skill match · $98,590 · +99% pay
Operations Analysis · Systems Evaluation · Technology Design
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Biofuels Processing Technicians (76% skill match, median $62,470), First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers (76% skill match, median $59,320) and Agricultural Engineers (71% skill match, median $98,590), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 18 pay more than agricultural technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (+148%, $122,890), Agricultural Engineers (+99%, $98,590) and Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (+86%, $92,460).
21 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.