Will AI replace agricultural engineers?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 55m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by robots. The other 7h 5m (89%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 6.9% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 1 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 55m of a typical shift. 1 more task has only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so it stays with people here.

• Visit sites to observe environmental problems, to consult with contractors, or to monitor construction activities. (55m a shift; e.g. Skydio Dock for X10, in use)

7h 5m of a typical shift, or 89%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems. (1h 31m a shift)
• Design agricultural machinery components and equipment, using computer-aided design (CAD) technology. (49m a shift)
• Discuss plans with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers so that they can be evaluated and necessary changes made. (43m a shift)
• Meet with clients, such as district or regional councils, farmers, and developers, to discuss their needs. (36m a shift)
• Test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance. (36m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 65% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety

On Indeed, job postings in the Mechanical Engineering sector are at 168% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 43.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 100 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $98,590 a year ($47.40 an hour), 93% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $68,060 and $166,460 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 6.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 1,600 jobs in 2035. It expects about 100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 1,480 people in the U.S., roughly 0.00% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 780th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 1,600 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 75% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 4 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: bachelor's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Systems Evaluation, Mathematics, Systems Analysis, Science
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 5m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Microsoft Access

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Communicate results in peer-reviewed research articles or at workshops or conferences.
• Use agricultural drones for crop monitoring, irrigation management, and pest control.

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Nuclear Engineers (0m touched, $134k median pay)
• Conservation Scientists (18m touched, $73k median pay)
• Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers (0m touched, $115k median pay)
• Water/Wastewater Engineers (0m touched, $101k median pay)
• Environmental Engineers (17m touched, $107k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 with robots in real deployments, 13 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.