Agricultural engineering technician

Career path and progression

With experience you could:

• become a senior agricultural engineering technician or workshop manager
• become self-employed if you have the knowledge and industry contacts
• move into a senior sales, management or inspection
• move into a training role and become a further education teacher

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• maths knowledge
• knowledge of engineering science and technology
• design skills and knowledge
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• analytical thinking skills
• the ability to use your initiative
• concentration skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Related subjects

Most relevant

• Engineering - Agricultural engineering technicians work at the heart of engineering – helping to develop new products, install machinery, and solve practical problems in land-based industries. Understanding engineering principles, systems, and processes is central to everything they do.
• Mathematics - Agricultural engineering technicians use maths daily when creating equipment plans, calculating dimensions, and working with technical specifications. They need to be confident with measurements, tolerances, and the calculations involved in designing and testing machinery.
• Design and Technology - Agricultural engineering technicians design and build equipment, read technical drawings, and work with a wide range of materials and tools. Understanding the design process – from concept through to prototype and testing – is a key part of developing new agricultural products.
• Physics - Agricultural engineering technicians need to understand forces, motion, energy, and how materials behave under stress when designing and testing machinery. These physics principles help them work out why equipment fails and how to make it more effective.

Also relevant

• Computer Science - Agricultural engineering technicians use computer-aided design (CAD) software to create detailed equipment plans and may work with programmable control systems in modern agricultural machinery. Understanding how software and digital systems work helps them use these tools more effectively and troubleshoot technical issues.
• Environmental Science - Agricultural engineering technicians work in land-based industries where understanding soil, water, climate, and ecosystems matters. This knowledge helps them design and recommend equipment that works sustainably and suits the specific environmental conditions of a site.
• Business - Agricultural engineering technicians often demonstrate and sell new equipment, deal with customer enquiries, and research market trends. Some go on to become self-employed or move into senior sales and management roles, where business skills become especially important.
• Electronics - Agricultural engineering technicians increasingly work with machinery that includes electronic sensors, control panels, and automated systems. Understanding electronic circuits and components helps when installing, testing, and diagnosing faults in modern agricultural equipment.