Agricultural Engineer

Typical Salary

£25,000 To £40,000

Typical Hours

39 to 41 a week

evenings / weekends occasionally

How To Become a Agricultural Engineer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role

College / University

You can do a foundation degree or degree in agricultural engineering or agricultural machinery engineering. These courses are offered by land-based engineering institutions.

at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree

between 1 and 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma or degree

Apprenticeship

You may be able to start by doing a land-based service engineering technician advanced apprenticeship.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could work as an agricultural engineering technician and train on the job to qualify as an engineer.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

maths knowledge
knowledge of engineering science and technology
design skills and knowledge
knowledge of physics
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
excellent verbal communication skills
analytical thinking skills
knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties might include:

assessing the environmental impact of agricultural production methods
supervising construction projects, like land drainage, reclamation and irrigation
solving engineering problems, like designing all-terrain vehicles to move over uneven ground in different weather conditions
testing and installing new equipment, like harvesters, crop sprayers and logging machinery
using GPS, weather data and computer modelling to advise farmers and businesses on land use
planning service and repair programmes for machinery

Working Environment

You could work in an office, on a farm or in a laboratory.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can get more advice about careers and training from the Institution of Agricultural Engineers and the Landbased Engineering Training and Education Committee.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.