Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources career cluster
| occupation |
SOC code |
interests |
minimum education |
growth outlook |
current workers |
salary entry |
salary all |
| Environmental Engineers | 17-2081.00 | * | Bachelor | 2.37 | 1,770 | $50,040 | $73,480 |
| Environmental Engineering Technicians | 17-3025.00 | * | Associate | 1.72 | 370 | $30,860 | $41,230 |
| Forest and Conservation Technicians | 19-4093.00 | * | Associate | 0.52 | 560 | $28,610 | $38,970 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 29-2056.00 | * | Associate | 3.93 | 2,140 | $20,140 | $26,610 |
| Grounds Maintenance Workers, all other | 37-3019.99 | * | short OJT | 1.51 | 60 | * | * |
| Farm Labor Contractors | 45-1012.00 | * | work exp. | * | * | * | * |
| Agricultural Workers, all other | 45-2099.99 | * | short OJT | * | * | $18,450 | $23,860 |
| Logging Workers, all other | 45-4029.99 | * | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | 17-1021.00 | CIRA | Bachelor | 1.64 | 520 | $31,800 | $46,610 |
| Log Graders and Scalers | 45-4023.00 | CR | mod. OJT | 0.28 | 240 | $23,190 | $31,530 |
| occupation |
SOC code |
interests |
minimum education |
growth outlook |
current workers |
salary entry |
salary all |
| Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products | 13-1021.00 | ECR | work exp. | -0.62 | 280 | $32,870 | $48,340 |
| Farm, Ranch, and Other Agricultural Managers | 11-9011.00 | ERC | Bachelor + | -2.17 | 4,180 | $35,590 | $49,830 |
| First-Line Supervisors/ Managers of Landscaping, Lawn Service and Groundskeeping Workers | 37-1012.00 | ERC | work exp. | 2.03 | 8,040 | $27,910 | $40,040 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 11-9121.00 | IER | Bachelor + | 2.56 | 1,400 | $76,040 | $130,180 |
| Animal Scientists | 19-1011.00 | IR | Bachelor | * | * | $44,550 | $48,830 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 19-1013.00 | IR | Bachelor | 1.31 | 590 | $34,660 | $61,980 |
| Biologists | 19-1020.01 | IR | Bachelor | * | * | * | * |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 19-1021.00 | IR | Doctorate | 2.14 | 850 | $43,730 | $78,980 |
| Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | 19-1023.00 | IR | Bachelor | 0.99 | 380 | $38,920 | $58,420 |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | 19-4091.00 | IR | Associate | 1.78 | 830 | $24,760 | $37,530 |
| Veterinarians | 29-1131.00 | IR | Profess. | 3.48 | 2,000 | $52,460 | $90,400 |
| occupation |
SOC code |
interests |
minimum education |
growth outlook |
current workers |
salary entry |
salary all |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 19-1012.00 | IRC | Bachelor | * | * | $32,760 | $48,050 |
| Pest Control Workers | 37-2021.00 | R | mod. OJT | 1.73 | 2,810 | $20,670 | $28,720 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 37-3011.00 | R | short OJT | 2.17 | 33,800 | $16,980 | $22,330 |
| Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation | 37-3012.00 | R | mod. OJT | 1.69 | 490 | $20,680 | $29,440 |
| Tree Trimmers and Pruners | 37-3013.00 | R | short OJT | 1.53 | 2,650 | $22,250 | $28,440 |
| Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | 39-2021.00 | R | short OJT | 0.96 | 4,160 | $15,220 | $19,990 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 45-2091.00 | R | mod. OJT | -1.63 | 1,290 | $14,430 | $22,590 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 45-2092.00 | R | short OJT | -1.51 | 12,560 | $14,570 | $18,070 |
| Hunters and Trappers | 45-3021.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Fallers | 45-4021.00 | R | mod. OJT | -2.65 | 710 | $22,440 | $30,830 |
| Logging Equipment Operators | 45-4022.00 | R | mod. OJT | -1.12 | 2,260 | $22,090 | $29,760 |
| occupation |
SOC code |
interests |
minimum education |
growth outlook |
current workers |
salary entry |
salary all |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | 47-5011.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | 47-5012.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil, Gas, and Mining | 47-5013.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | 47-5031.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | $37,290 | $45,820 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 47-5041.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators | 47-5042.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Mining Machine Operators, all other | 47-5049.99 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Rock Splitters, Quarry | 47-5051.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | $18,510 | $23,680 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | 47-5061.00 | R | * | * | * | * | * |
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 47-5071.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | 47-5081.00 | R | short OJT | 2.43 | 170 | $24,920 | $27,840 |
| occupation |
SOC code |
interests |
minimum education |
growth outlook |
current workers |
salary entry |
salary all |
| Extraction Workers, all other | 47-5099.99 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics | 49-3041.00 | R | 1,2 year | 0.65 | 510 | $24,330 | $33,150 |
| Commercial Divers | 49-9092.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 51-3022.00 | R | short OJT | 0.62 | 8,400 | $17,140 | $19,860 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 51-3023.00 | R | mod. OJT | 0.58 | 7,750 | $17,920 | $21,400 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 51-3091.00 | R | short OJT | 0.07 | 550 | $18,940 | $35,570 |
| Food Batchmakers | 51-3092.00 | R | short OJT | 1.98 | 1,550 | $18,120 | $25,610 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 51-3093.00 | R | short OJT | 0.34 | 640 | $17,380 | $21,810 |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | 51-7041.00 | R | mod. OJT | -0.28 | 3,030 | $19,990 | $26,090 |
| Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators | 51-8031.00 | R | long OJT | 1.88 | 3,110 | $26,260 | $34,820 |
| Gas Plant Operators | 51-8092.00 | R | long OJT | -1.35 | 60 | $41,310 | $50,400 |
| occupation |
SOC code |
interests |
minimum education |
growth outlook |
current workers |
salary entry |
salary all |
| Dredge Operators | 53-7031.00 | R | mod. OJT | 1.63 | 130 | $22,970 | $28,460 |
| Loading Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 53-7033.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators | 53-7071.00 | R | mod. OJT | * | * | $38,260 | $51,080 |
| Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | 53-7072.00 | R | mod. OJT | -0.49 | 60 | $33,500 | $40,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | 53-7081.00 | R | short OJT | 0.92 | 3,750 | $16,960 | $24,440 |
| Shuttle Car Operators | 53-7111.00 | R | short OJT | * | * | * | * |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 45-2041.00 | RC | work exp. | -0.40 | 1,230 | $14,990 | $18,420 |
| Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals | 45-2093.00 | RC | short OJT | -1.40 | 1,700 | $16,390 | $22,250 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 51-8093.00 | RC | long OJT | 1.14 | 100 | $38,650 | $50,980 |
| Wellhead Pumpers | 53-7073.00 | RC | mod. OJT | * | * | * | * |
| First-Line Supervisors/ Managers of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | 45-1011.00 | RE | work exp. | * | * | $28,210 | $47,110 |
| occupation |
SOC code |
interests |
minimum education |
growth outlook |
current workers |
salary entry |
salary all |
| Fishers and Related Fishing Workers | 45-3011.00 | RE | mod. OJT | -6.70 | 60 | * | * |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 51-3021.00 | RE | long OJT | 0.18 | 3,930 | $17,570 | $25,790 |
| Farmers and Ranchers | 11-9012.00 | REC | long OJT | -0.75 | 43,510 | * | * |
| Foresters | 19-1032.00 | RI | Bachelor | 0.55 | 340 | $40,470 | $59,590 |
| Geological and Petroleum Technicians | 19-4041.00 | RI | Associate | * | * | $33,730 | $36,510 |
| Animal Breeders | 45-2021.00 | RI | mod. OJT | * | * | $24,880 | $27,200 |
| Forest and Conservation Workers | 45-4011.00 | RI | mod. OJT | * | * | $20,980 | $29,690 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 45-2011.00 | RIC | work exp. | 0.05 | 550 | $32,350 | $40,160 |
| Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 31-9096.00 | RIS | short OJT | 2.02 | 3,060 | $16,600 | $22,000 |
| Fish and Game Wardens | 33-3031.00 | RIS | long OJT | * | * | $26,910 | $38,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Advisors | 25-9021.00 | SREC | Bachelor | 0.98 | 950 | $22,070 | $49,490 |
* data not available
SOC Codes
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system classifies all careers and assigns a unique number to each. This SOC number can be used to follow up with other career databases.
Interests
Interests are the likes and dislikes of people who work in each career. Matching your interests can help you find a career that will be more satisfying and rewarding for you than occupations that do not meet your interests. Knowing your work interests can help you decide what kinds of jobs and careers you want to explore.
People and work environments can be classified into these six different groups:
- Realistic - "Doers" - People who have athletic or mechanical ability, prefer to work with objects, machines, tools, plants or animals, or to be outdoors.
- Investigative - "Thinkers" - People who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate or solve problems.
- Artistic - "Creators" - People who have artistic, innovating or intuitional abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity.
- Social - "Helpers" - People who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, help, train, or cure them, or are skilled with words.
- Enterprising - "Persuaders" - People who like to work with people, influencing, persuading, performing, leading or managing for organizational goals or economic gain.
- Conventional - "Organizers" - People who like to work with data, have clerical or numerical ability, carry out tasks in detail or follow through on others' instructions.
Take an Interest Assessment to discover your interests.
Minimum Postsecondary Education Required
Minimum education is the usual minimum level of postsecondary (after high school) education required for each career.
Some careers have on-the-job training (OJT), which means that you go straight to the job and learn while you work.
- short OJT - Short on-the-job training (less than one month)
- mod. OJT - Moderate on-the-job training (1 to 12 months)
- long OJT - Long on-the-job training (more than one year). Long OJT usually includes community college or trade school courses.
Some careers require further education after high school before starting the career.
- 1,2 year - One- or two-year program at a trade school or community college
- Associate - Associate's degree - two-year degree program at a community college
- Bachelor - Bachelor's degree - four-year degree program at a college or university
- Bach+work - Bachelor's degree plus related work experience
- Master - Master's degree - two or more years after Bachelor's degree
- Doctorate - Doctorate degree - three or more years after Bachelor's degree
- Profess. - Professional degree - three or more years after Bachelor's degree
- work exp. - Work experience in a related occupation
Growth Outlook
Growth outlook is the projected growth of the number of career openings per year in North Carolina from 2006 to 2016. High growth means that the number of openings are increasing, so the likelihood of getting a job in this career is good. Low growth means that there may not be any openings, so the likelihood of getting a job in this career is not very good.
- low - (red color) - below average projected growth rate (less than 1% growth per year)
- moderate - (green color) - average projected growth rate (between 1 and 2.1% growth per year)
- high - (blue color) - above average projected growth rate (over 2.1% growth per year)
White background indicates that growth outlook information is not available.
Number of Current Workers in NC
Current workers (2006 data) is the number of people in North Carolina who are full-time and part-time employees, workers on paid vacation or other type of paid leave, workers assigned temporarily to other units and paid owners, officers and staff of incorporated firms. This excludes proprietors, owners and partners of unincorporated firms, unpaid family workers, workers on unpaid leave and contractors and temporary agency employees not on the company payroll.
Entry-Level NC Salaries
Salary entry is the average salary for all entry-level (first-year) workers in this career in North Carolina. The entry wage is the mean of the first third of the wage distribution from the 2008 Occupational Employment Statistics combined wage file.
Salary includes straight time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate, cost-of-living allowances, tips, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay, commissions, production bonuses and on-call pay are included. Excluded is back pay, jury duty pay, overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and tuition reimbursements.
Average NC Salaries
Salary all is the average salary for all workers in this career in North Carolina. Data were prepared from the 2008 Occupational Employment Statistics combined wage file.
Salary includes straight time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate, cost-of-living allowances, tips, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay, commissions, production bonuses and on-call pay are included. Excluded is back pay, jury duty pay, overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and tuition reimbursements.
The data come from multiple data tables from the NC Employment Security Commission - Labor Market Information. Blanks in this table represent missing data, some due to confidentiality because of small numbers of workers in an occupation.
Database updated 09/02/09
Comments, suggestions, and corrections are welcome. WebGuy -at- NcCareerOutlook.com.
Brought to you by the School-to-Work/Careers Section of the Association for Career and Technical Education
