Agricultural engineers solve problems concerning power supplies, machine efficiency, the use of structures and facilities, pollution and environmental issues, and the storage and processing of agricultural products. Many of them design the automated farm equipment that is changing farm work. Designing and testing that equipment stays with engineers.
The short answer: low exposure and much-faster-than-average growth in a small field. The ILO's 2025 index rates engineering professionals not elsewhere classified, the closest group, as not exposed with a score of 0.30. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 7 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 100 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed agricultural engineers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Professionals Not Elsewhere Classified | Not exposed | 0.30 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for agricultural engineers, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural engineers | Grow 7% | About 100 |
The BLS says farms will continue to need agricultural engineers to design more efficient machinery, equipment and buildings and to help reduce environmental damage. It expects them to keep working on alternative energies and biofuels, precision and automated farming technologies for irrigation, spraying and harvesting, and worker safety systems.
Where AI is helping
- Guiding precision equipment that applies water and sprays only where needed.
- Analyzing field, soil and machine sensor data.
- Speeding up design and simulation of equipment and buildings.
What stays with agricultural engineers
- Design for real farms: machines that work in mud, dust and changing weather.
- Testing in the field: proving equipment is safe and reliable.
- Environment and safety: reducing pollution and protecting workers.
- Checking AI help: generated designs and data analysis can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Agricultural engineers are often the people building farm automation rather than being replaced by it. The BLS expects precision and automated farming to keep them busy. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace farmers?, will AI replace agricultural technicians? and will AI replace environmental engineers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for agricultural engineers at $98,590 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace agricultural engineers?
Not on current projections. The BLS projects 7 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 100 openings a year.
How exposed are agricultural engineers to AI?
The ILO rates engineering professionals not elsewhere classified, the closest group, as not exposed with a score of 0.30.
What do agricultural engineers work on?
The BLS lists efficient machinery and buildings, biofuels, precision and automated farming, and worker safety systems.
Is farm automation a threat to them?
The BLS expects them to keep working on precision and automated farming technologies, so it is part of their work.