Agricultural & Food Scientists
Agricultural & Food Scientists
Career Overview
Agricultural and food scientists use scientific research to improve how food and agricultural products are produced, processed, and protected. They study plants, animals, soil, and food to improve quality, safety, nutrition, efficiency, and sustainability. Their work can include developing new food products, improving crops and livestock, studying soil and plant health, and finding better ways to use agricultural resources.
Education
A bachelor's degree in agricultural science, food science, biology, chemistry, animal science, plant science, or a related field is typically required. Some specialized research and university positions may require a master's or doctoral degree.
Future Outlook
The world's growing need for safe, nutritious food and more sustainable agricultural practices will continue to create opportunities for agricultural and food scientists. Advances in biotechnology, food production, automation, climate-resilient agriculture, and resource management are creating new areas of research and innovation. This career is a good fit for students who enjoy science, problem-solving, technology, agriculture, and making a difference in how food is produced.
Work Environment
Agricultural and food scientists work in laboratories, offices, research facilities, food-production facilities, and outdoor settings. Depending on their specialty, they may conduct experiments, analyze samples and data, visit farms or production facilities, or work with plants and animals. Most work as part of a team with other scientists, technicians, farmers, engineers, and food professionals.
Recommended High School Courses
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Math
- Computer Science
- Physics
- Agricultural Science
- English
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Auditory Attention - The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
- Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Speed of Closure - The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Inspect products or operations to ensure that standards are met.
- Mark agricultural or forestry products for identification.
- Package agricultural products for shipment or further processing.
- Advise others on farming or forestry operations, regulations, or equipment.
- Measure physical characteristics of forestry or agricultural products.
- Examine animals to detect illness, injury or other problems.
- Maintain operational records.
- Direct activities of agricultural, forestry, or fishery employees.
Schools
Angelo State University
Auburn University
Buena Vista University
Cal Poly Pomona
Florida Agricultural And...
Iowa State University
Kansas State University-...
Louisiana State Universit...
Missisippi State Universi...
Murray State University
North Carolina State Univ...
Oklahoma State University
Oregon State University
Suny College Of Agricultu...
Texas A & M University- K...
University Of Illinois At...
University Of Nebraska- L...
University Of Wisconsin-...
Dalhousie University-...
Lakehead University- O...
University Of Alberta
University Of Guelph
University Of Manitoba
University Of Saskatch...
Approx Salary Expectation
Low End:
$47,000.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$79,000.00 /yr
High End:
$140,000.00 /yr
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.