Precision Agriculture Technicians
Apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to agricultural production or management activities, such as pest scouting, site-specific pesticide application, yield mapping, or variable-rate irrigation. May use computers to develop or analyze maps or remote sensing images to compare physical topography with data on soils, fertilizer, pests, or weather.
Precision Agriculture Technicians apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to agricultural production or management activities, such as pest scouting, site-specific pesticide application, yield mapping, or variable-rate . The role reports a median annual salary of $46,790 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Associate's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.62 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Writing.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £28,210 a year for Laboratory technicians (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,975 to £34,028 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3111). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Precision Agriculture Technicians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
No single fixed route is listed for this career. These Indian degrees lead to it, according to the US CIP–SOC education-to-occupation crosswalk; open a degree for its entrance exams and colleges.[1]
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Agriculture — B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture (four years)
Entrance exams: CUET-UG, MHT CET, KCET, AP EAPCET, TS EAPCET
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- CIP 2020 – SOC 2018 crosswalk (NCES / BLS) (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Sales and Marketing
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Biology
- Food Production
What you'd actually do
- Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
- Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
- Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing characteristics such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium content, pH, or micronutrients.
- Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
- Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
- Create, layer, and analyze maps showing precision agricultural data, such as crop yields, soil characteristics, input applications, terrain, drainage patterns, or field management history.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Precision Agriculture Technicians do?
Apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to agricultural production or management activities, such as pest scouting, site-specific pesticide application, yield mapping, or variable-rate irrigation. May use computers to develop or analyze maps or remote sensing images to compare physical topography with data on soils, fertilizer, pests, or weather.
How much does Precision Agriculture Technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Precision Agriculture Technicians in the US is $46,790.
What is the job outlook for Precision Agriculture Technicians?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 18,600 workers.
How do I become precision agriculture technicians?
The typical entry education is a Associate's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Precision Agriculture Technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Writing, Active Learning. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Precision Agriculture Technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Precision Agriculture Technicians a score of 0.62 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Precision Agriculture Technicians has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.