What You'll Do

  • Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions.
  • Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.
  • Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.
  • Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.
  • Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.
  • Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.
  • Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.
  • Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.
  • Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.
  • Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.

Essential Skills

Operation and Control 3.88/5
Operations Monitoring 3.75/5
Troubleshooting 3.12/5
Active Listening 3.0/5
Equipment Maintenance 3.0/5
Repairing 3.0/5
Quality Control Analysis 3.0/5
Critical Thinking 2.88/5
Social Perceptiveness 2.88/5
Speaking 2.75/5
Monitoring 2.75/5
Coordination 2.75/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Dependability, Attention to Detail, Cautiousness, Perseverance, Stress Tolerance

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Control Precision 3.88/5
Multilimb Coordination 3.88/5
Near Vision 3.62/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.38/5
Far Vision 3.38/5
Depth Perception 3.38/5
Oral Comprehension 3.25/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.25/5

Technologies & Tools

Farm Management Software Hay and Crop Manager Martens Farms Farm Site Mate Martens Farms Farm Trac Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft PowerPoint

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.55/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.17/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.0/5)
  • Perseverance (High importance: 3.87/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 3.83/5)

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How to Become One

Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this career. Training is provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Agricultural Equipment Operator (Ag Equipment Operator) Agricultural Equipment Operators Agricultural Farm Equipment Operator Agricultural Plow Operator Agriculture Equipment Operator Baler Baler Operator Bean Picker Machine Operator Berry Picker Machine Operator Broomcorn Thresher Cane Cutter Machine Operator Cane Flume Chute Operator Cane Flume Feeding Machine Operator Cane Piler Chopper Operator Combine Driver Combine Operator Corn Cutter Corn Detasseler Machine Operator Corn Husker Machine Operator Cotton Baler Cotton Chopper Cotton Ginner Cotton Picker Operator Cotton Stripper Cultivator Custom Harvester Cutter Operator Dairy Machine Operator Equipment Operator Farm Equipment Operator Farm Machine Tender Farm Tractor Operator Feed Mixer Operator Fertilizer Applicator Fertilizing Machine Operator Field Crops Harvest Machine Operator Field Hauler Forestry Equipment Operator Fruit Harvest Machine Operator Fruit Harvester Machine Operator Fruit Loader Machine Operator Fruit Picker Machine Operator Fruit Thinner Machine Operator Gin Operator Ginner Ginning Operator Grain Combine Driver Grain Combiner Grain Thresher Ground Crew Applicator Harvester Harvester Operator Hay Baler Hay Chopper Hay Rake Operator Hay Stacker Machine Operator Hay Stacker Operator Hop Picker Machine Operator Lime Spreader Liquid Fertilizer Servicer Loader Operator Machine Farmworker Machine Milker Machine Operator Machine Pecan Gatherer Machine Pecan Picker Milking Machine Operator Mushroom Growth Media Mixer Nut Sheller Machine Operator Orange Picker Machine Operator Packing Tractor Machine Operator Peanut Picker Peanut Shaker Picker Picker Machine Operator Picker Operator Planting Machine Crewman Planting Machine Operator Plowman Portable Feed Mill Operator Potato Bucker Potato Picker Rake Operator Raking Machine Operator Replanter Machine Operator Replanting Machine Crewman Replanting Machine Operator Seed Potato Arranger Sprayer Straw Baler Sugar Cane Planter Machine Operator Sugar Cane Planting Equipment Operator Thresher Tobacco Primer Machine Operator Transplanter Machine Operator Vegetable Harvest Machine Operator Vegetable Loader Machine Operator Wheat Combine Driver Windrower Operator

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.