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Career Summary:


  • Supervise pest or weed control operations including locating and identifying pests or weeds, selecting chemicals and application methods, scheduling application, and training operators.
  • Measure and mark plot areas, and plow, disc, level, and otherwise prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards and vineyards.
  • Conduct insect and plant disease surveys.
  • Examine animals and specimens to determine the presence of diseases or other problems.
  • Perform general nursery duties such as propagating standard varieties of plant materials, collecting and germinating seeds, maintaining cuttings of plants, and controlling environmental conditions.
  • Operate farm machinery including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, and trucks.
  • Perform crop production duties such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, and harvesting crops.
  • Devise cultural methods and environmental controls for plants for which guidelines are sketchy or nonexistent.
  • Maintain and repair agricultural facilities, equipment, and tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness.
  • Provide routine animal care such as taking and recording body measurements, applying identification, and assisting in the birthing process.
  • Set up laboratory or field equipment, and prepare sites for testing.
  • Transplant trees, vegetables, or horticultural plants.
  • Receive and prepare laboratory samples for analysis, following proper protocols to ensure that they will be stored, prepared, and disposed of efficiently and effectively.
  • Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, and animal care.
  • Collect samples from crops or animals so testing can be performed.
  • Prepare data summaries, reports, and analyses that include results, charts, and graphs to document research findings and results.
  • Adjust testing equipment, and prepare culture media, following standard procedures.
  • Operate laboratory equipment such as spectrometers, nitrogen determination apparatus, air samplers, centrifuges, and potential hydrogen (pH) meters to perform tests.
  • Measure or weigh ingredients used in testing or for purposes such as animal feed.
  • Provide food and water to livestock and laboratory animals, and record details of their food consumption.
  • Plant seeds in specified areas, and count the resulting plants to determine the percentage of seeds that germinated.
  • Supervise and train agricultural technicians and farm laborers.
  • Prepare and present agricultural demonstrations.
  • Respond to inquiries and requests from the public that do not require specialized scientific knowledge or expertise.
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  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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  • Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
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  • Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
  • Third Interest High-Point - Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
  • Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
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  • Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  • Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  • Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
  • Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
  • Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
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  • Moral Values - Workers on this job are never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
  • Activity - Workers on this job are busy all the time.
  • Company Policies and Practices - Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.
  • Supervision, Technical - Workers on this job have supervisors who train their workers well.
  • Support-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
  • Security - Workers on this job have steady employment.
  • Supervision, Human Relations - Workers on this job have supervisors who back up their workers with management.
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10%25%Median- 50%75%90%
TN Annual$21,670$31,120$39,160$47,990$55,140
US Annual$21,810$26,970$33,630$41,830$51,510

*Some salaries are listed at an hourly rate. Those that include a single dollar amount are considered hourly wage.

Wage and salary data provided by:


  • Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee Department of Labor website
  • TN Department of Labor & Workforce Development website
  • Bureau of Economic Analysis website

For an explanation of salary data please visit acinet.org


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