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Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Agriculture Professor, Associate Professor, Instructor, Professor

Teach courses in the agricultural sciences. Includes teachers of agronomy, dairy sciences, fisheries management, horticultural sciences, poultry sciences, range management, and agricultural soil conservation. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$98,700
Openings a year BLS, 2025–35800
Typical education to start BLSDoctoral or professional degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 High
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +2.9%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 17 of its 23 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 2.9% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 2.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 100% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 82% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$46k$136knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$80,030$59,210 to $99,720280
Arizona$73,500$61,250 to $105,26080
Arkansas$74,340$57,940 to $90,030170
California$109,930$77,530 to $136,710400
Colorado$81,920$60,710 to $113,720160
Connecticut$125,350$80,130 to $125,35080
Delaware$126,770$106,970 to $165,70070
Florida$62,420$50,240 to $76,970120
Georgia$104,330$79,100 to $132,060380
Idaho$105,690$62,140 to $126,24080
Illinois$105,440$76,970 to $128,380340
Indiana$74,480$54,710 to $104,940160
Iowa$101,080$80,370 to $128,090230
Kansas$112,480$65,690 to $135,280200
Kentucky$84,100$65,210 to $130,900200
Maine$92,480$67,490 to $135,48070
Maryland$129,920$102,350 to $163,35090
Michigan$136,130$91,370 to $175,400240
Minnesota$100,410$78,690 to $130,480280
Mississippi$69,930$47,050 to $98,840230
Missouri$78,730$60,340 to $99,930210
Montana$93,470$81,320 to $96,600160
Nebraska$97,640$77,620 to $129,820250
New Jersey$131,380$66,930 to $168,46050
New Mexico$108,290$84,540 to $137,10080
North Carolina$102,560$74,470 to $133,080500
North Dakota$108,130$82,550 to $134,00090
Ohio$46,160$36,820 to $97,37060
Oklahoma$64,080$49,620 to $84,130410
Oregon$100,930$79,450 to $101,570290
Pennsylvanianot publishednot published60
Puerto Rico$85,850$75,940 to $89,73080
South Dakota$98,220$80,490 to $98,220110
Tennessee$128,270$101,410 to $132,310350
Texas$105,370$80,590 to $126,3301,170
Utah$64,500$55,220 to $81,76090
Vermont$106,680$59,320 to $134,06060
Virginia$105,330$87,060 to $138,500230
Washington$82,960$64,420 to $129,010160
West Virginianot publishednot published50
Wisconsin$82,950$77,700 to $109,270370
Wyoming$98,660$65,780 to $100,68090

Nationally: $98,700. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 17 of its 23 tasks

10 · AI alone could halve the time 7 · AI + software built on it could 6 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
Not much Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. Not published
AI alone Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. Not published
AI alone Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. Not published
AI alone Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues. Not published
AI alone Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction. Not published
AI alone Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. Not published
See all 23 tasks
AI + software Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers. Not published
Not much Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work. Not published
AI + software Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as crop production, plant genetics, and soil chemistry. Not published
Not much Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Not published
AI + software Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others. Not published
AI + software Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment. Not published
AI + software Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. Not published
Not much Supervise laboratory sessions and field work and coordinate laboratory operations. Not published
Not much Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues. Not published
AI alone Participate in campus and community events. Not published
Not much Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. Not published
AI alone Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. Not published
AI alone Write grant proposals to procure external research funding. Not published
AI alone Act as advisers to student organizations. Not published
AI + software Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. Not published
AI alone Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments. Not published
AI + software Provide professional consulting services to government or industry. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 23 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 23 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up17 of 23 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most7 of 19 activities
  • #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
  • #10 Write material for artistic or commercial purposes
  • #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
  • and 4 more, in the table below
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Advise others on educational or vocational matters 14#74 34#36
Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise 408#4 247#8
Teach academic or vocational subjects 22#54 143#14
Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance 2.31#189 0.62#188
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Write material for artistic or commercial purposes 149#10 105#18
Prepare informational or instructional materials 73#23 195#11
Perform administrative or clerical activities 58#30 25#44
Show all 19 activities
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Select materials or equipment for operations or projects 45#38 19#49
Evaluate programs, practices, or processes 15#67 5.67#80
Promote products, services, or programs 14#72 85#20
Plan events or programs 5.26#123 1.90#133
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures 2.52#181 2.47#121
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Prepare proposals or grant applications 1.47#214 0.60#190
Serve on organizational committees 0.21#294 0.04#288
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance” holds 2 tasks rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.31 of every 10,000 conversations, #189 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • An explanation or answer28%
  • Teaching material18%
  • Advice or a recommendation12%
  • A document or report12%
  • A plan or strategy8%

How they worked with Claude

29% handed the task off71% worked on it together

15% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary: +2.9%Agricultural Sciences Teachers, PostsecondaryAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary: +2.9%Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved in from

of 126 moves in

  1. 1 Financial Managers Very high +9.7% 16%
  2. 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 12%
  3. 3 Real Estate Sales Agents Very high +1.7% 11%
  4. 4 Chefs and Head Cooks Moderate +6.6% 11%
  5. 5 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 10%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 1% associate's
  • 1% bachelor's
  • 14% master's
  • 1% post-master's certificate
  • 55% research doctorate
  • 27% post-doctoral training

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 1% less than high school
  • 3% high school
  • 4% some college
  • 2% associate's
  • 16% bachelor's
  • 28% master's
  • 5% professional degree
  • 42% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers” · 15,280 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
51 programs, such as Agriculture, General, Agricultural Business and Management, General and Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations.
See all
  • Agriculture, General
  • Agricultural Business and Management, General
  • Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations
  • Agricultural Economics
  • Farm/Farm and Ranch Management
  • Agricultural/Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling
  • Agricultural Business and Management, Other
  • Agricultural Mechanization, General
  • Agricultural Power Machinery Operation
  • Agricultural Mechanization, Other
  • Agricultural Production Operations, General
  • Animal/Livestock Husbandry and Production
  • Aquaculture
  • Crop Production
  • Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management
  • Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture
  • Agricultural Production Operations, Other
  • Agricultural and Food Products Processing
  • Animal Training
  • Equestrian/Equine Studies
  • Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
  • Ornamental Horticulture
  • Greenhouse Operations and Management
  • Landscaping and Groundskeeping
  • Plant Nursery Operations and Management
  • Turf and Turfgrass Management
  • International Agriculture
  • Animal Sciences, General
  • Agricultural Animal Breeding
  • Animal Health
  • Animal Nutrition
  • Dairy Science
  • Livestock Management
  • Poultry Science
  • Animal Sciences, Other
  • Food Science
  • Viticulture and Enology
  • Food Science and Technology, Other
  • Plant Sciences, General
  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Horticultural Science
  • Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding
  • Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management
  • Range Science and Management
  • Plant Sciences, Other
  • Soil Science and Agronomy, General
  • Soil Chemistry and Physics
  • Soil Microbiology
  • Soil Sciences, Other
  • Agricultural Teacher Education
  • Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

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