Agricultural Extension Agent
Impact: Community development, agricultural productivity, knowledge dissemination
Instruct and advise individuals and families engaged in agriculture, agricultural-related processes, or home management activities. Demonstrate procedures and apply research findings to advance agricultural and home management activities.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 20-40% domestic travel to farms and community centers
- Schedule flexibility
- Flexible
- Remote work
- Limited Remote
- Typical work hours
- 40-55 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $100,000
- Entry-level
- $75,000
- Senior
- $135,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 3% (as fast as average)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- High to 80% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $40,000 - $80,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Agricultural Science
- Education and Training
- Food Production
- Customer Service
- Biology
- Data Analysis
Soft skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Instructing
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Social Perceptiveness
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Master's Degree
- Licensing
- Varies by State
- Years to mid-career
- 5-8 years
- Years to senior
- 10-15 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Extension Agent
- Senior Extension Agent
- Regional Specialist
- Program Director
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 10% to low risk due to high human interaction and complex problem-solving
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.5/10
- Meaning
- 4.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.2/10
- Prestige
- 7.5/10
- Social perception
- High