ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The American Equipment Service company in Sabina, Ohio, is looking for a fulltime agricultural diesel mechanic, offering up to $65,000 a year. TAM Systems in Salem, Ohio, is in need of an agricultural millwright, with pay up to $26 per hour. The Siebenthaler Company in Dayton, Ohio, is searching for a farm mechanic, and Zen Leaf, of Bowling Green, Ohio, is in need of a cannabis adviser.

Mention farming to young people and they might only envision farmers tending to cows and chickens, or harvesting corn and wheat. As the new school year begins, many seniors and their parents are considering future career paths. The agriculture field offers a wide range of career opportunities beyond traditional farming and ranching.

In the employment site Indeed, one will find scores of employment opportunities related to farming and not just farming itself. Other services listed in Indeed include barn cleaners, farm maintenance workers, greenhouse grower, grain examiner, groom tech, cultivation manager, barn attendant and agronomy warehouse specialist.

Agriculture is essential to our daily lives, providing food, clothing and even fuel. Yet, with less than 2 percent of Americans directly involved in farming, it’s important to explore the many other career options within agriculture.

FFA has played a huge part in leading students to agriculture-related employment. Dawn Dietz, seeds sales service operations head at Syngenta Group, serves as the president of the Syngenta FFA Alumni & Supporters Business Resource Group. An accomplished FFA alum herself, Dietz received the Honorary American FFA Degree in 2022 in recognition of her commitment to the next generation of agriculture students.

“I’d say the organization itself really helped open my eyes to the opportunities that are out there and paved the way for my growth. And I’ve seen that happen for students my entire life,” Dietz said.

Dietz is energized by seeing how FFA inspires young people to pursue a farm-related future, no matter their background.

“With so many more students not coming from a farming background, FFA really shows them the opportunities that agriculture has and where they could go,” she said. “FFA instills excitement and enthusiasm for agriculture. It teaches the kids to really understand where their food is coming from and how production agriculture works. That foundation is critically important.”

Not every high school, though, offers FFA and most attending a high school that is without an FFA chapter don’t realize the opportunities that are available to them.

Agriculture-related careers are diverse and rewarding, supporting the industry in various ways. Agribusiness management, for example, focuses on the managerial aspects of food production and distribution. Careers in this area include roles such as commodity trader, agricultural production specialist and purchasing manager.

Another field is agricultural and natural resources communications, where professionals work in journalism, public relations and advertising. Job titles in this category include marketing communications manager, district sales representative and reporter.

For those interested in science and education, agriscience offers opportunities to work in agricultural and natural resource industries. Career paths here include agriscience educator, extension educator, and human resources director.

Resource development and management is another key area, focusing on policy analysis, planning and program management. Careers in this field include environmental analyst, solid waste coordinator and water resources specialist.

Horticulture is vibrant field that combines science and art to cultivate fruits, flowers, vegetables and ornamental plants. However, not all jobs in horticulture involve plants. Growers play a huge role in horticulture, and the industry could not survive without them. But sometimes people forget about the other careers in horticulture.

Jazmin Albarran, executive director of Seed Your Future, said there are many jobs in horticulture that do not require working with plants. She works closely with students, starting in middle school, to recruit them to the horticulture industry.

Many students, Albarran said, think that if they join the industry they would have to grow plants.

“I tell them that no matter what their passion is, they’re very likely to find something in this industry,” Albarran said. “The career opportunities that do not involve plants are endless. Sales is one of the most common options. Salespeople are needed at all levels of horticulture, including selling plants from breeders to young plant growers, from young plant growers to finished plant growers, and from finished plant growers to retailers. A competent sales team is critical to the success of the industry. You have to be able to sell the plants, whether you’re a broker, breeder or nursery.”

Food safety is a critical area within agriculture, focusing on the development of new foods, production methods, and ensuring a safe food supply. Careers in food safety include food technician, laboratory technician, and quality control manager.

There are roughly more than 200 degrees and career paths available in agriculture. With 22 million people working in agriculture-related fields, there are countless opportunities to support America’s farmers and contribute to the industry’s growth and sustainability.

Of concern to many students entering the workforce is the pay that comes with agriculture-related jobs. The salaries in this industry are quite competitive.

Some employment opportunities and their annual salary (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) include farm worker ($43,527), grower ($62,218), grain elevator operator ($60,489), agricultural equipment technician ($59,953), purchasing agent ($56,804), warehouse manager ($62,901), agriculture specialist ($55,289), sales representative ($69,403), crop manager ($70,051), environmental engineer ($87,611), feed mill manager ($75,662) and research scientist ($95,565).