Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
Also called: Farm Equipment Mechanic, Mechanic, Service Technician (Service Tech), Tractor MechanicDiagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 14 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 10.7% 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, 1.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in wholesale trade, which employs about 77% 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.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,000 | $44,100 to $63,260 | 680 |
| Arizona | $53,630 | $36,240 to $76,940 | 700 |
| Arkansas | $49,030 | $41,620 to $62,060 | 790 |
| California | $53,790 | $45,650 to $76,090 | 4,730 |
| Colorado | $55,400 | $42,630 to $66,810 | 270 |
| Connecticut | $58,690 | $49,030 to $64,530 | 70 |
| Delaware | $61,850 | $52,500 to $76,040 | 70 |
| Florida | $48,360 | $40,000 to $56,940 | 800 |
| Georgia | $50,170 | $45,190 to $63,950 | 570 |
| Hawaii | $49,990 | $49,990 to $63,310 | 40 |
| Idaho | $59,600 | $47,400 to $64,100 | 680 |
| Illinois | $59,430 | $48,680 to $73,690 | 1,770 |
| Indiana | $60,460 | $46,080 to $71,290 | 1,200 |
| Iowa | $59,860 | $49,270 to $74,770 | 2,210 |
| Kansas | $50,290 | $45,460 to $61,990 | 2,130 |
| Kentucky | $48,970 | $35,680 to $60,410 | 800 |
| Louisiana | $48,330 | $44,160 to $63,280 | 320 |
| Maine | $58,880 | $54,380 to $63,310 | 130 |
| Maryland | $60,360 | $51,140 to $70,680 | not published |
| Michigan | $50,870 | $41,580 to $64,010 | 980 |
| Minnesota | $58,040 | $46,570 to $63,080 | 1,620 |
| Mississippi | $49,030 | $42,180 to $60,090 | 520 |
| Missouri | $51,330 | $45,810 to $62,260 | 960 |
| Montana | $61,710 | $48,770 to $74,760 | 400 |
| Nebraska | $49,810 | $42,980 to $61,960 | 1,770 |
| Nevada | $65,250 | $50,230 to $74,100 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $50,360 | $47,810 to $64,320 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $62,300 | $56,580 to $70,990 | 260 |
| New Mexico | $49,920 | $44,200 to $63,390 | 120 |
| New York | $56,550 | $47,460 to $62,030 | 650 |
| North Carolina | $50,750 | $41,630 to $73,010 | 300 |
| North Dakota | $63,030 | $57,660 to $80,050 | 770 |
| Ohio | $53,400 | $47,280 to $61,970 | 1,300 |
| Oklahoma | $58,860 | $47,950 to $64,380 | 380 |
| Oregon | $60,830 | $50,840 to $74,780 | 660 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,310 | $46,340 to $59,990 | 990 |
| South Carolina | $46,640 | $40,090 to $61,430 | 260 |
| South Dakota | $62,140 | $51,170 to $77,020 | 820 |
| Tennessee | $47,830 | $39,520 to $60,740 | 1,030 |
| Texas | $57,150 | $46,310 to $65,130 | 2,200 |
| Utah | $56,070 | $47,570 to $73,620 | 190 |
| Vermont | $58,750 | $49,740 to $60,410 | 130 |
| Virginia | $47,700 | $39,660 to $56,160 | 460 |
| Washington | $61,370 | $48,600 to $76,730 | 1,120 |
| West Virginia | $46,240 | $32,500 to $50,530 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $58,870 | $48,500 to $67,080 | 1,560 |
| Wyoming | $60,880 | $50,010 to $74,980 | 90 |
Nationally: $56,550. 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 3 of its 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Reassemble machines and equipment following repair, testing operation and making adjustments, as necessary. | Not published |
| AI alone | Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain, repair, and overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems. | Not published |
| AI alone | Record details of repairs made and parts used. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and lubricate parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Dismantle defective machines for repair, using hand tools. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| Not much | Test and replace electrical components and wiring, using test meters, soldering equipment, and hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair or replace defective parts, using hand tools, milling and woodworking machines, lathes, welding equipment, grinders, or saws. | Not published |
| Not much | Tune or overhaul engines. | Not published |
| Not much | Drive trucks to haul tools and equipment for on-site repair of large machinery. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair bent or torn sheet metal. | Not published |
| Not much | Fabricate new metal parts, using drill presses, engine lathes, and other machine tools. | Not published |
| AI + software | Calculate bills according to record of repairs made, labor time, and parts used. | Not published |
| Not much | Install and repair agricultural irrigation, plumbing, and sprinkler systems. | 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 14 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 14 tasks fall under 18 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.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #39 Determine values or prices of goods or services
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Maintain facilities or equipment | |||
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment |
Show all 18 activities
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Repair vehicle components | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Install plumbing or piping equipment or systems |
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 farm equipment mechanics and service technicians 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.
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 next
of 603 moves out
- 1 Electricians Moderate +9.2% 6%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers High +4.1% 6%
- 4 Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +3.1% 5%
- 5 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Moderate +5.0% 5%
Where people moved in from
of 615 moves in
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 2 Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity Moderate +4.1% 5%
- 3 Electricians Moderate +9.2% 5%
- 4 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Moderate +5.0% 5%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers High +4.1% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 1% less than high school
- 43% high school
- 52% postsecondary certificate
- 2% some college
- 3% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 25 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 11% less than high school
- 47% high school
- 22% some college
- 15% associate's
- 4% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics” · 1,538 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 “Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics”
5 programs, such as Agricultural Mechanization, General, Agricultural Power Machinery Operation and Agricultural Mechanics and Equipment/Machine Technology/Technician.
See all
- Agricultural Mechanization, General
- Agricultural Power Machinery Operation
- Agricultural Mechanics and Equipment/Machine Technology/Technician
- Irrigation Management Technology/Technician
- Agricultural Mechanization, Other
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
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (DAIRY EQUIPMENT REPAIRER; FARM EQUIPMENT MECHANIC II; Farm Equipment Mechanic and Technician). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
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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