Will AI replace agricultural technicians?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 5m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The breakdown: 6m that AI mostly does alone, 1h 59m that robots have done in real workplaces. The other 5h 55m (74%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5.4% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 1 of 26 tasks, about 6m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Respond to general inquiries or requests from the public. (6m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 8 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 1h 59m of a typical shift. 10 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 3 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks. (25m a shift; e.g. SwarmBot, in use)
• Examine animals or crop specimens to determine the presence of diseases or other problems. (19m a shift; e.g. Solix robot (Solinftec), in use)
• Prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, discing, leveling, or contouring. (12m a shift; e.g. John Deere autonomous tillage (Autonomy Precision Upgrade, Operations Center Mobile), in use)
• Conduct studies of nitrogen or alternative fertilizer application methods, quantities, or timing to ensure satisfaction of crop needs and minimization of leaching, runoff, or denitrification. (12m a shift; e.g. Rogo SmartCore autonomous soil sampler, in use)

5h 55m of a typical shift, or 74%, 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:

• Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care. (50m a shift)
• Perform crop production duties, such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, or harvesting crops. (37m a shift)
• Collect animal or crop samples. (37m a shift)
• Maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness. (31m a shift)
• Prepare laboratory samples for analysis, following proper protocols to ensure that they will be stored, prepared, and disposed of efficiently and effectively. (31m 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:

• 94% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 76% talk face to face with others every day
• 57% work in very hot or cold conditions at least weekly

On Indeed, job postings in the Scientific Research & Development sector are at 84% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 19.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 2,800 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 $49,630 a year ($23.86 an hour), 3% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $35,980 and $76,480 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 5.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 21,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 2,800 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 15,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 591st largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 21,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 41% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate'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: Operations Monitoring, Instructing, Active Learning, Writing
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 55m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills. 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:

• Agricultural Engineers (55m touched, $99k median pay)
• Biological Technicians (2h 46m touched, $58k median pay)
• Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers (2h 27m touched, $90k median pay)
• Precision Agriculture Technicians (56m touched, $50k median pay)
• Food Science Technicians (1h 51m touched, $52k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 observed in real AI use, 8 with robots in real deployments, 17 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.