Food Science Technicians
Median $52,130
Occupation · SOC 19-4012
What agricultural technicians earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
$49,630 median annual wage
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-4012.
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The median annual wage for agricultural technicians was $49,630 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,980 and the highest-paid 10% more than $76,480. As an hourly rate, the median is $23.86. About 15,130 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Iowa ($64,070), Wyoming ($63,120) and Arizona ($62,990). Iowa also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
What each step of the pay range for agricultural technicians looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,980 | $17.30 | $2,998 | $2,591 |
| 25th percentile | $40,950 | $19.69 | $3,413 | $2,924 |
| Median | $49,630 | $23.86 | $4,136 | $3,505 |
| 75th percentile | $63,630 | $30.59 | $5,303 | $4,442 |
| 90th percentile | $76,480 | $36.77 | $6,373 | $5,219 |
39 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
$59,111 take-home in national prices
$57,068 take-home in national prices
$53,572 take-home in national prices
Where a median agricultural technician paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Not published | $64,070 | $34,730 | $82,580 | $51,877 | $59,111 |
| Wyoming | 30 | $63,120 | $53,220 | $82,440 | $52,897 | $57,068 |
| Arizona | Not published | $62,990 | $43,140 | $75,950 | $51,611 | $51,264 |
| California | 2,420 | $60,320 | $43,340 | $75,230 | $48,204 | $43,537 |
| Kentucky | 210 | $59,860 | $30,460 | $76,980 | $48,300 | $53,572 |
| Minnesota | 530 | $57,310 | $37,440 | $87,550 | $45,603 | $46,240 |
| New Jersey | Not published | $54,370 | $38,760 | $139,440 | $43,991 | $40,431 |
| Missouri | 420 | $54,060 | $33,400 | $79,140 | $44,014 | $48,464 |
| Delaware | Not published | $52,510 | $39,670 | $67,080 | $41,924 | $42,005 |
| North Carolina | 550 | $51,470 | $37,280 | $66,810 | $41,991 | $44,517 |
| Texas | 120 | $50,270 | $37,400 | $95,850 | $42,572 | $43,863 |
| Maryland | 200 | $49,680 | $39,510 | $67,930 | $40,104 | $38,209 |
| Georgia | 1,020 | $48,960 | $27,760 | $67,910 | $39,825 | $41,358 |
| Idaho | 650 | $48,870 | $37,960 | $69,410 | $39,965 | $41,851 |
| Mississippi | 190 | $48,800 | $29,550 | $78,360 | $40,171 | $46,198 |
| Pennsylvania | 110 | $48,800 | $36,770 | $87,110 | $39,858 | $40,850 |
| Washington | 470 | $48,220 | $38,480 | $65,660 | $40,256 | $37,618 |
| Hawaii | 150 | $47,960 | $39,520 | $76,970 | $38,598 | $35,105 |
| Nebraska | 580 | $47,420 | $36,050 | $61,880 | $39,004 | $43,288 |
| Maine | 50 | $47,410 | $33,390 | $59,500 | $38,505 | $39,676 |
| Kansas | 450 | $47,200 | $34,670 | $78,680 | $38,271 | $42,491 |
| Colorado | 100 | $47,020 | $35,880 | $86,190 | $38,393 | $37,256 |
| North Dakota | 100 | $46,960 | $36,660 | $64,270 | $39,912 | $44,866 |
| Oregon | 480 | $46,800 | $35,980 | $65,740 | $36,545 | $35,357 |
| Arkansas | 260 | $46,750 | $34,990 | $61,460 | $38,501 | $44,287 |
| Utah | 40 | $46,560 | $35,300 | $62,720 | $38,117 | $38,555 |
| Wisconsin | 620 | $46,470 | $38,130 | $65,760 | $38,116 | $40,508 |
| Illinois | 700 | $46,410 | $33,070 | $69,590 | $37,318 | $37,334 |
| Indiana | 410 | $46,170 | $35,590 | $73,840 | $37,945 | $40,657 |
| New York | 380 | $45,830 | $39,330 | $69,490 | $36,897 | $34,189 |
| Tennessee | 60 | $45,130 | $35,600 | $62,390 | $38,442 | $41,844 |
| Nevada | 40 | $43,590 | $38,480 | $55,790 | $37,205 | $37,212 |
| Michigan | 450 | $42,780 | $38,290 | $64,790 | $34,986 | $36,362 |
| Florida | 240 | $42,700 | $37,490 | $75,840 | $36,489 | $35,285 |
| New Hampshire | 30 | $42,520 | $42,520 | $50,630 | $36,345 | $34,892 |
| South Dakota | 350 | $41,420 | $34,930 | $54,170 | $35,461 | $40,030 |
| South Carolina | 100 | $41,290 | $32,970 | $62,350 | $34,826 | $37,148 |
| Virginia | 170 | $41,210 | $31,900 | $66,120 | $33,737 | $33,368 |
| Oklahoma | Not published | $37,840 | $28,910 | $98,980 | $31,427 | $35,776 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-4012. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).