Farm Equipment Mechanics
Overview
Introduction
Farm equipment mechanics maintain, adjust, repair, and overhaul equipment and vehicles used in planting, cultivating, harvesting, moving, processing, and storing plant and animal farm products. They work with specialized machines such as tractors, harvesters, combines, pumps, tilling equipment, silo fillers, hay balers, and sprinkler irrigation systems. Farm equipment mechanics work for farm equipment repair shops, farm equipment dealerships, and on large farms that have their own shops. Approximately 48,000 farm equipment mechanics...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Farm equipment mechanics had median hourly earnings of $23.66 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This figure translates into a yearly income of approximately $49,210. The lowest paid 10 percent of farm equipment mechanics earned less than $16.76 per hour ($34,870 per year), while the highest paid 10 percent earned $34.83 or more per hour ($72,450 or more per year). Exact ea...
Work Environment
Farm equipment mechanics generally work indoors on equipment that has been brought into the shop. Most modern shops are properly ventilated, heated, and lighted. Some older shops may be less comfortable. During harvest seasons, mechanics may have to leave the shop frequently and travel many miles to farms, where they perform emergency repairs outdoors in any kind of weather. They may often work...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that employment of farm equipment mechanics will grow by 11 percent (much faster than the average for all careers) from 2023 through 2033. Although modern farm equipment has become more efficient and dependable, the increasing complexity of machinery, the growing population (which requires more food), and the increasing use of farm equipment to make biofuels...
