Agricultural and food science technicians held about 33,000 jobs in 2014.
The industries that employed the most agricultural and food science technicians in 2014 were as follows:
Food manufacturing
19%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state
17
Animal production and aquaculture
12
Crop production
11
Support activities for agriculture and forestry
8
Technicians work in a variety of settings, including laboratories, processing plants, farms and ranches, greenhouses, and offices. Technicians who work in processing plants and agricultural work settings may face noise from processing and farming machinery, extreme temperatures, and odors from chemicals or animals.
Work Schedules
Agricultural and food science technicians typically work full time and have standard work schedules. Some of these technicians work longer hours, have variable schedules, or travel extensively.