Career profile · SOC ESC-309752BF

agronomist

Agronomists provide consulting services to companies, agricultural cooperatives, agronomical crop growers and horticultural crop growers on the cultivation of food crops. They study the science, technology and business related to growing plants. They examine crops and perform experiments in order to improve crop yields and farms' production. Agronomists also examine the most effective ways to harvest and cultivate plants.

agronomist agronomists provide consulting services to companies, agricultural cooperatives, agronomical crop growers and horticultural crop growers on the cultivation of food crops. They study the science, technology and business related to growing plants. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include environmental legislation in agriculture and forestry, consultation methods, mathematics, crop production principles, pesticides.

AI exposure
5.0/10
automation risk

Pay in the UK

UK: median £45,382 a year for Biological scientists (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)

UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2112). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 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 “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only agronomist, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.

Urban India
₹42,717 a month
Rural India
₹30,424 a month
All India
₹38,466 a month

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 2. 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

Top skills

environmental legislation in agriculture and forestry consultation methods mathematics crop production principles pesticides European pesticide legislation environmental legislation irrigation systems budgetary principles scientific literature

Knowledge you'll build

  • Food Production
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Mechanical
  • Mathematics
  • Administration and Management
  • English Language
  • Education and Training

What you'd actually do

  • Prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, discing, leveling, or contouring.
  • Operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks.
  • Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care.
  • Maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness.
  • Perform crop production duties, such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, or harvesting crops.
  • Collect animal or crop samples.

Tools & technology you'd use

Microsoft Excel hot Microsoft Office software hot Microsoft Access hot Microsoft Outlook hot Microsoft PowerPoint hot Microsoft Word hot SAP software hot Desktop publishing software Email software Geographic information system GIS systems Global positioning system GPS software Microsoft operating system

Frequently asked questions

What does agronomist do?

Agronomists provide consulting services to companies, agricultural cooperatives, agronomical crop growers and horticultural crop growers on the cultivation of food crops. They study the science, technology and business related to growing plants. They examine crops and perform experiments in order to improve crop yields and farms' production. Agronomists also examine the most effective ways to harvest and cultivate plants.

What skills does agronomist need?

The most in-demand skills for this role include environmental legislation in agriculture and forestry, consultation methods, mathematics, crop production principles, pesticides, European pesticide legislation. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.

Will AI replace agronomist?

Our AI-durability model gives agronomist a score of 0.50 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.

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