Strong growth is expected in fields related to agricultural engineering.
Agricultural engineering deals primarily with problems of process improvements and long term sustainability in the field of agriculture. Agricultural engineering degrees are offered by dozens of U.S. universities. Any state where agriculture is a significant part of the economy is likely to have offer an agricultural engineering program through its universities.
Field
Agricultural engineering combines technology and engineering science. Agricultural engineers are involved in virtually all aspects of agriculture. Engineers work in soil preservation, irrigation, production, processing and handling of agricultural products. Engineers work in every area where the core business relates to plant or animal growth, from farms to gold courses. Detailed information on the field of agricultural engineering, recent developments and education can be found through the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Sciences.
Career Outlook
According to Univsource.com jobs in agricultural engineering are expected to grow by 12 percent by 2018. Developments in renewable energy demand and growing global demand for agricultural products are both expected to contribute to growth. In 2008 individuals with a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering earned an average of $58,613 and those with advanced or post-graduate degrees earned $83,144 on average. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated to overall average earnings for agricultural engineers to be $72,850.
Courses
In most schools, the first two years of coursework are largely the same for all areas of engineering. In the latter years of education and in post-graduate work, the course work will depend largely on the area of focus. Courses may include those related to agricultural machinery, irrigation, agribusiness, biology and environmental studies.
Schools
U.S. News ranks Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana as the top school in the field. Other schools in the U.S. News top 10 include the University of Illinois, Texas A & M University, Cornell University, the University of California - Davis, Iowa State University, the University of Florida, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, Pensylvania State and the University of Nebraska. In most cases in-state students pay a lower tuition than out-of-state students but, among the top universities tuition costs anywhere between $6,000 and $29,500 per year.
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