Agricultural and Food Science Technicians

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Duties

Depending on their specialty, these technicians' specific responsibilities might differ. Technicians in agricultural science usually perform the following tasks:

• Comply with procedures for gathering, preparing, analyzing, and storing samples of crops or animals.
• Observe scientific testing standards when operating farm equipment and maintaining agricultural producing regions.
• To find out whether there are any infections or other issues, examine animal and crop specimens.
• Measure feed components and other inputs to livestock
• Set up and run tests in a laboratory
• Test findings should be compiled and analyzed
• Prepare test results charts, presentations, and reports.
• Typical food science technician duties include the following:
• Samples should be collected and prepared in line with standard operating procedures (SOP).
• In order to assure the safety of the food, additives, and containers, it is necessary to conduct tests on them.
• Participate in the creation, testing, and monitoring of food by food scientists
• To identify the components and formulae in food, conduct chemical analyses.
• Test findings should be compiled and analyzed
• Prepare test results charts, presentations, and reports.
• Laboratory tests can only be carried out if the right ingredients are available.
• Maintain a sanitary and safe lab environment at all times

Farm equipment, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, and processing technologies are just few of the fields in which agricultural and food science professionals specialize. Specialization may result in a wide range of responsibilities.

There are a number of agricultural science technicians who focus on increasing the yields of crops and livestock. This group of professionals is responsible for keeping meticulous records, collecting samples for analysis, ensuring that samples are safe and of a high quality, and testing crops and animals for illness or to validate the findings of scientific investigations.

When it comes to novel production or processing methods, food science specialists are always on the lookout. They also make certain that the items are ready for distribution or are manufactured as effectively as planned throughout the production process. Food science experts spend a lot of time examining ingredients, chemicals, and additives to see whether they're safe and if they're in the right proportions.

Education

Acquiring an associate's degree in a biology or chemistry-related discipline is often required for agricultural and food science technician positions. Having a bachelor's degree may be required for certain occupations.

Pay

The median annual wage for agricultural technicians was $43,180 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,750, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $65,470.

Job Projection

Overall employment of agricultural and food science technicians is projected to grow 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.