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Public Universities
Cornell University, Texas A&M University, University of Florida
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
These instructors teach college-level agriculture courses, lead lab or classroom discussions, and advise students who are preparing for work in farming, agribusiness, soil science, or related fields. The job is different from many other teaching roles because it mixes classroom instruction with student advising, grading, and staying current on new agricultural research. The tradeoff is clear: the pay is solid for higher education, but the job usually requires a doctorate or postdoctoral training and there are only a limited number of openings.
Also known as Agriculture ProfessorAgricultural Science ProfessorAgronomy ProfessorPostsecondary Agriculture TeacherAgricultural Sciences Instructor
Median Salary
$86,350
Mean $97,790
U.S. Workforce
~9K
0.8K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4.1%
10.7K to 11.2K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary sits in the Education category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~9K workers, with a median annual pay of $86,350 and roughly 0.8K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 10.7 K in 2024 to 11.2K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Doctoral Degree in Agricultural Science or a Related Field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Graduate Teaching Assistant and can progress toward Professor / Department Chair. High-value skills usually include Instructional Design & Curriculum Planning, Canvas, Blackboard & Moodle, and Academic Research Databases (Google Scholar, JSTOR & CAB Abstracts), paired with soft skills such as Instructing, Learning Strategies, and Reading Comprehension.
Core Responsibilities
- Advise student clubs, competition teams, or other groups connected to agriculture.
- Work with other faculty members on course content, lab problems, or research projects.
- Build reading lists and other course materials for students to use outside class.
- Write quizzes and exams, or coordinate with teaching assistants who help grade them.
Keep exploring: more Education careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Advise student clubs, competition teams, or other groups connected to agriculture.
02 Work with other faculty members on course content, lab problems, or research projects.
03 Build reading lists and other course materials for students to use outside class.
04 Write quizzes and exams, or coordinate with teaching assistants who help grade them.
05 Grade lab reports, homework, papers, and other classwork, then give students feedback.
06 Lead class discussions, hold office hours, and keep up with new research in the field.
Industries That Hire
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Land-Grant Research Universities
Purdue University, Iowa State University, NC State University
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Community Colleges
Miami Dade College, Santa Rosa Junior College, Central New Mexico Community College
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Online Universities
Southern New Hampshire University, Purdue Global, University of Arizona Global Campus
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Government Extension & Outreach
USDA, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is solid for teaching work, with a median salary of $86,350 and a mean salary of $97,790.
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You do not need prior work experience or on-the-job training to enter the role once you have the right degree.
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The job combines teaching with advising and mentoring, so you can work closely with students instead of only lecturing.
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You stay connected to current research and agricultural issues, which keeps the subject matter practical and up to date.
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The work can be rewarding if you want to help prepare people for careers in farming, agribusiness, soils, or food systems.
Challenges
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The biggest barrier is education: most workers have a doctorate or postdoctoral training, with 55.31% holding doctorates and 27.0% having post-doctoral training.
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The occupation is small, with only 8,700 jobs and about 0.8 thousand annual openings, so competition can be tight.
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Growth is modest at 4.1% over ten years, which means opportunities expand slowly rather than rapidly.
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Because most jobs sit inside colleges and universities, pay and hiring often depend on budgets, enrollment, and tenure-track competition.
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The work goes beyond classroom time, since grading, office hours, committee work, and staying current in the field can stretch the job across the week.
Career Progression
Graduate Teaching Assistant
0-2 years
$35K-$45K
Supports professors, runs discussion sections or labs, and learns how college teaching works.
Assistant Professor
2-6 years
$68K-$80K
Teaches undergraduates and graduate students, advises students, and starts building a track record in teaching or research.
Agricultural Sciences Teacher, Postsecondary THIS ROLE
5-12 years
$82K-$95K
Teaches full courses, grades student work, meets with advisees, and keeps course content aligned with current agricultural knowledge.
Associate Professor
10-18 years
$96K-$120K
Handles heavier teaching and advising loads while often taking on committee work, curriculum changes, or more research responsibility.
Professor / Department Chair
15+ years
$121K-$155K
Leads programs, mentors junior faculty, shapes department priorities, and often balances administration with teaching.
Education Paths
Doctoral Degree in Agricultural Science or a Related Field
The most common entry point, held by 55.31% of workers in this role.
Post-Doctoral Training
A major follow-on path, used by 27.0% of workers, especially for research-focused university jobs.
Master's Degree in Agricultural or Life Sciences
A smaller path, held by 14.04% of workers, usually paired with strong teaching, lab, or industry experience.
Bachelor's Degree
A rare path, held by 1.41% of workers, and usually not enough on its own for a full-time postsecondary teaching job.
Key Skills
Technical
Instructional Design & Curriculum Planning 88%
Canvas, Blackboard & Moodle 84%
Academic Research Databases (Google Scholar, JSTOR & CAB Abstracts) 80%
Exam, Quiz & Rubric Design 76%
Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint 74%
Zoom, Panopto & Lecture Capture Tools 72%
Soft Skills
InstructingLearning StrategiesReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive ListeningWriting Job Outlook and Trends
+4.1%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.8K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 10.7K to 11.2 K over the next decade, representing 4.1% growth. Around 0.8 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.